


Season 2 Rewrite: Charmed and Fabulous

by SwiftyGirl7474



Series: Power of Four [3]
Category: Charmed (TV 1998), Charmed (TV 1998) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Power of Four, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2019-09-17 01:33:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 127,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16965210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwiftyGirl7474/pseuds/SwiftyGirl7474
Summary: A follow up to my season 1 rewrite. An addition of Paige and Andy with some changes to the season two episodes.





	1. Morality Bites Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Charmed Rewrites Info
> 
> Andy/ Expellers:
> 
> Many of the old and powerful witch families have an expeller family line that follows them. Expellers are drawn to their witch family and usually stay nearby their witch counterparts. (Andy's family line can be traced back to the Salem Witch Trials along with the Warren family line) There is no gender preference so an Expeller can be either male or female. Sometimes their powers can skip generations or only one sibling receives the powers but not always. (Andy's grandmother and great aunt were Expellers but his great uncle didn't have any magic. Andy's father was an Expeller and then Andy himself was) Expellers are generational. Andy's grandmother and great aunt were Expellers to Penny; Andy's father was an Expeller for Patty; Andy is Expeller for the Charmed Ones. There's not a set number of Expellers to witches. As in there can be four Expellers to one witch, three Expellers to three witches, One Expeller to two witches... it doesn't matter. Their powers are connected to their witch family. The closer they are to their witch family, the stronger their magic is and the more powerful their witch family, the more powerful they are as well. If their witch family loses their magic then the Expeller does too. (The sisters' powers were bound which effectively bound Andy's; Andy's father lost his magic after Patty (the only witch in his generation) died). This is because an Expeller's job is to help the witches. No witches= no need for an Expeller but their magic can still be passed on to the next generation. In the case of Expeller/Witch children which is not an uncommon occurrance, if they are blessed with the ability to orb then they are considered Expellers while any witch powers they inherit become part of their inheritable powers. Otherwise, they are considered ordinary witches. This definition is arguable in the magical community as sometimes Expeller powers are split such as despite not receiving the orbing power, a child may still be able to sense different degrees of magic like an Expeller but are still not considered one. However, more often then not, all Expeller powers go hand in hand and the splitting is uncommon. Expeller powers are rarely inherited when competing with witch powers thus their numbers have greatly diminished in recent years as more Expellers fell for the witch partners.
> 
> Powers:
> 
> Expellers can sense different degrees of magic (as in whether someone is more powerful magically or not) as well as whether they use good or evil magic. They're more sensitive to magic working around them. (Andy was more suspicious of the sisters and magical cases then Darryl because of this) They are granted the power to orb by the Elders but they also have an inheritable personal power. (Andy can absorb and reuse powers temporarily and also negate powers used against him)
> 
> To recap :
> 
> Something important for you guys to know is that some of the episodes in this Season are going to be switched around in order for my time line to work out. As you can see the first episode is going to be Morality Bites, not Witch Trial. The main plot of Witch Trial will be used later on. All episodes will appear, it's just with the addition of Paige and Andy it will help to switch the order a little. Some of you may remember that Leo has technically been missing since Love Hurts. He will come back very very soon so no one panic on me. He is missing from the present time of Morality Bites and you may find that Natalie (yes the whitelighter from Blinded by the Whitelighter) shows up sometimes to help.
> 
> Powers :
> 
> Prue:  
> Telekinesis - Telematerialization  
> Telepathy  
> Astral Projection
> 
> Piper:  
> Molecular Immobilization  
> Telepathic link to her sisters
> 
> Phoebe:  
> Premonitions  
> Telepathic link to her sisters
> 
> Paige:  
> Telekinetic Orbing  
> Orbing  
> Electrokinesis  
> Telepathic link to her sisters
> 
> Andy:  
> Absorption  
> Orbing  
> Negation
> 
> The telepathic links between the sisters is my interpretation of creating the telepathic communication that the sisters get once they fight the crone in Season 5 and later used in the comics. I'm starting it much earlier. However, Prue is an actual Telepath… or will be eventually. Right now, outside Piper, she has to touch the person like she did in To Break a Witch.

Morality Bites

 

The Halliwell Manor

Piper stomped into the kitchen with a bag of groceries in one hand and one of her shoes in the other. Prue, Phoebe, and Paige were all gathered around the coffee pot when she dropped the groceries unceremoniously on the island.

"Whoa, what did you buy?" Phoebe exclaimed, referring to the smell that followed Piper inside.

"Doodie." Piper replied with a glare at her sisters as she held up her shoe for them to see.

"We weren't out of that." Prue quipped.

Paige wrinkled her nose and backed away a step. "Ew…" She whined. "Shoe!" She called, making it disappear in orbs and reappear in the sink where she ran over and turned the water on.

"Paige, that shoe was expensive." Piper snapped but sighed as the damage was already done. She turned her gaze to Prue and Phoebe. "I stepped in it again. That man has turned our front walk into a puppy minefield." She ranted.

Phoebe shook her head in disbelief. "I cannot believe that guy let's his dog do its business right in front of our house."

"Well, we've left notes…" Prue pointed out with a resigned sigh.

"And sent Andy out to talk to him." Paige added.

Piper grabbed the empty milk carton on the table in front of them and threw it roughly into the trash. "And gotten nowhere." She countered, ever the pessimist.

"Did Andy show him his gun?" Phoebe wondered with a glance at Prue. She nodded and Phoebe's faint smile faded. "That usually works…" She sighed. Phoebe suddenly slammed her hand down on the table with a loud 'thump.' "Well, I've had it. The next time I catch him in the act, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind." She decided.

All four sisters froze at the sound of a dog barking outside their house. "No…" Paige started, narrowing her eyes in the direction of the window.

"It can't be…" Piper agreed with Paige, her voice showing her disbelief.

"Oh, I hope it is." Phoebe announced, stomping toward the living room window as if she was off to battle. Prue, Piper, and Paige were quick to follow.

Piper yanked the curtain back so they all could see. "That's them. That's the guy and his dog. I can't believe it." Piper stammered in her anger.

Prue's hands rested on her hips as her eyes narrowed. "That is so rude. And he's just going to walk away."

Phoebe smirked mischievously. "Then don't let him. Use your magic." She suggested eagerly.

"Phoebe." Paige scolded.

"What? If you can't teach the dog new tricks, why not the owner? Just think of the money we would save on carpet cleaning alone." Phoebe insisted defensively.

Prue shook her head immediately. "Phoebe, we can't use our magic to teach him or anybody else a lesson." Prue lectured.

Phoebe stood her ground. "Why not? It's for the greater good, I mean, I mean that's our job, right?" She pressed, focusing mostly on Prue. "Think of it as community service. We'd be doing our whole block a favor." She continued. "Come on." Phoebe waved for Paige to open the window.

Paige only hesitated a split moment. "Okay." She agreed, pushing the window up. "Alright, Piper." She moved out of the way.

"Oh, I hope he's not out of my range." Piper wished. She leaned out the window and flicked her wrists so that the street outside froze, including the man and his dog.

"Prue…" Phoebe prompted. Prue sighed and flicked a finger so that the dog's poop smashed against the man's shoe. "Nice shot." She complimented just as the street unfroze. "An eye for an eye, a shoe for a shoe." Phoebe commented in satisfaction.

The man looked down at his shoe and attempted to wipe the stuff off onto the ground. He turned and looked around as if trying to figure out how it had happened. "Ooh!" The sisters whispered when he looked at their window. Prue dropped to the ground, Paige grabbed Piper and pulled them back against the wall out of sight while Phoebe let the curtain go so that it closed them from view.

"Did he see you?" Prue asked Phoebe from the ground as she was easily the last person to get out of sight.

Phoebe shrugged nonchalantly. "So what if he did? What's he gonna do? Cry witch?" Phoebe joked.

Paige peeked out around the curtain and saw the man and his dog leave. "Well, he's gone now." She pointed out.

Phoebe nodded, much happier than she had been earlier. "So we've done our good deed for the day. I think I deserve fifteen minutes of channel surfing." She decided, sprawling across the couch and flipping the television on with the remote.

"Who wants coffee?" Piper asked, receiving raised hands from Phoebe and Paige. Prue was a given.

"I'll grind." Prue offered, following Piper into the kitchen. "I suppose Andy will want some too…" Her voice drifted as she disappeared farther into the house with Piper.

Paige dropped down into an armchair next to Phoebe for some TV. "Maybe Looney Tunes are on." She lightly hit Phoebe on the arm for her to see.

"Okay, Paigey." Phoebe agreed with a laugh. She flipped the channel several times when she landed on the news. Before she flipped to the next channel a picture of baseball player Cal Greene covered the screen as the reporter talked about his grand slam record. Phoebe dropped the remote as she was hit by a premonition.

Phoebe is tied up to a stake and surrounded by many people. One of the men pointed her out, declaring something, and flames lit up around her, engulfing her while Prue, Piper, and Paige stood to the side watching and crying.

Phoebe screamed as she came out. Paige was by her side in a second. "Phoebe!" She called, kneeling down beside her elder sister. Prue and Piper came running from the kitchen and there was a stomping from the stairs as Andy hurried down to see what was happening.

"What happened?" Andy demanded, scanning the area as if he expected a demon to have attacked Phoebe. His gun was drawn as he searched for something to shoot.

"She had a premonition, I think… a bad one." Paige explained.

Prue pushed Paige to the side and took Phoebe's hand. "Phoebe, are you okay?" She questioned gently.

"Take a deep breath, honey, it's alright." Piper soothed, helping Phoebe into a sitting position.

Phoebe just shook her head, looking stunned and in pain at the same time. "No, it's not. I saw my future…" She met each of her sister's eyes and then Andy's before continuing. "I was being executed. Burned alive." She whispered.

~PO4~

"Why would a report about a baseball player trigger a premonition like that?" Piper wondered aloud as she came back from the kitchen with a cold glass of water that she passed to the shaken Phoebe.

Phoebe shrugged as she took a sip of water. "I don't know."

"It could be that baseball player had some role in putting Phoebe in the predicament she found herself." Andy mused.

"Andy, that's not helping." Prue stated, sending him a warning look that he just shrugged in return.

"But a very valid point." Paige allowed. She glanced at Andy with a half smile. "Just sometimes it's best to keep your valid point from the person it's about." She advised.

Andy rolled his eyes but gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. "Do you remember his name?" Andy inquired in his detective voice.

Phoebe shook her head slightly. "All I remember is that I could feel it. I could feel the fire." Phoebe admitted.

Andy's gaze shifted to Paige and she just shrugged. She hadn't been paying that much attention to the news. "We can find out. It's on the news so it might come back around." Paige suggested, reaching for the remote.

Piper knocked Paige's hand away from the remote. "We don't want to trigger it again." She snapped and Paige drew her hand back. She looked back at Phoebe. "So we were just standing there? That can't be right." Piper denied, sounding confused.

"That's what I saw…" Phoebe replied, taking another sip of her water.

Prue shook her head. "There's no way that we would let that happen. Not in the past, present, or future." She insisted.

Phoebe groaned and fell back into the couch. "What did I do? Or what is it I'm going to do?" All eyes shifted to Andy as his cell started to ring.

"Sorry." Andy apologized, pulling out his phone and moving to another room to answer.

~PO4~

"Hey, Trudeau, the captain just called. We've got a case that just came in." Darryl explained hastily.

Andy sighed and leaned against the wall. "Look, I'll be in as soon as I can." He promised.

"How come that makes me think that might be awhile?" Darryl asked, sounding partly impatient, partly sarcastic.

"I just need to finish something up here." Andy answered cryptically. He started to say something else when his phone flew from his hand. Andy's head snapped around to find Prue with his phone.

"Hey, Darryl, it's Prue. Andy will be wherever he's supposed to be on time." She promised, earning a glare from Andy. They exchanged a few more words before Prue hung up and passed Andy his phone back.

"Why are you trying to get rid of me?" Andy demanded with narrowed eyes at his girlfriend.

Prue tilted her head slightly to the side. "That's not it at all, Andy." She countered but Andy didn't let up his gaze. "Look, it's just that if all of us were to stay home every time something came up, we would never leave the house. I don't even have to go to work until later this afternoon which means all four of us are going to be here. There's no sense in you standing around here too." She explained. "At least not until we have a plan or come to some conclusion or something." Prue added for good measure.

Andy stared at her calculatingly before giving a faint nod, apparently deciding she wasn't trying to get rid of him. "Sorry." He apologized, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her to him.

Prue smiled and shrugged. "It's okay. I know it's been over a month since Rodriguez and you're really excited about helping us now that you sort of have some control over those powers of yours, but believe me, you'll have plenty of time to help us." She assured him, patting his chest in a soothing manner while flashing him a teasing smile. "But you should also take whatever normalness you can get which includes going to work when you can." Prue advised.

"Alright, I got it." Andy laughed, rolling his eyes at her lecture.

Prue narrowed her eyes playfully before standing on her tip-toes to give him a light kiss on the lips. "Now, go get ready for work." She ordered, spinning him around and pushing him toward the stairs. "And don't worry. One of the four of us will call you when we need you." She promised.

~PO4~

Andy was on his way back downstairs ten minutes later when he heard the sound of someone walking around upstairs. Thinking that the sisters had now migrated to the attic to check in the Book of Shadows for something to help them, he started up the next flight of stairs to tell them he was leaving. He froze in the doorway when he didn't recognize the person that was standing over the book. The pages of the book were flipping wildly as the person, a woman but definitely not one of the sisters, held her hands over it. Andy released one of Prue's telekinetic blasts at one of the chests behind the strange woman. The chest flew forward, right for the woman, when she orbed out so that it went straight through her. Andy paused… only good beings were supposed to be able to orb. "Who are you and what are you doing?" Andy demanded.

The woman straightened out her ruffled clothes professionally before responding to Andy. "Natalie." She answered, her gaze then shifting back to the book. "I'm just opening a spell for them to use to solve their problem with Phoebe's premonition." She continued nonchalantly.

Andy slowly advanced. "You're a whitelighter?" He guessed. How else would she know of Phoebe's premonition?

Natalie raised her eyebrows at his ignorance. "Yeah." She stated shortly.

Andy hesitantly let his eyes flicker over the open page. "A spell to the future?" He pressed, expecting an explanation.

"They have a lesson to learn." Natalie shrugged.

"I thought Leo was their whitelighter." Andy prompted with narrow-eyed suspicion at the supposed whitelighter.

Natalie nodded and stepped around the pedestal to Andy. "That's the second reason I'm here. Leo's missing. I was told to pass that on to you. They seem to think you can find him." Her eyes narrowed as she took him in and obviously didn't appear too impressed. "Good luck." She offered, not really sounding sincere. Natalie waved her hand and Andy was orbed down the stairs as she heard Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige coming up. She made sure the book was still on the correct page before orbing out, causing them to rustle slightly.

"What did he want?" Phoebe asked, speaking of Darryl calling.

"Andy has to go work on a case." Prue answered as she entered the attic. Her eyes landed on the Book of Shadows and she tilted her head to the side curiously.

Phoebe didn't notice yet as she followed Prue in. "He's not going to stay and help?" Her voice radiated her disbelief.

Paige rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Come on, Phoebe, all three of us are here to help you. Andy doesn't need to hang around and watch us all the time." She pointed out.

"The pages were doing that flipping thing on their own again." Piper interrupted their conversation, apparently the only sister other than Prue that saw the pages move a little. The four of them crowded around to see what it said.

"It's a spell to take us to the future." Prue read with a thoughtful expression.

"Two actually." Piper corrected. "One to send us, one to bring us home, but apparently we only get one shot. Once we use it they disappear." Piper cautioned.

Paige ran a hand over the spells. "Sounds like a plan." She agreed. "Andy, I thought you were going to work." Paige stated as Andy joined them in the attic.

Andy quickly scanned over the attic searching for the whitelighter but then realized the sisters were staring at him. "Yeah, I, uh, just came to tell you I was leaving… unless you found something?" His statement turned into a question at the end.

"We're going to cast the spell to the future." Prue explained, pointing down at the book.

Phoebe suddenly shook her head. "Wait a minute, you guys. We almost died going back to the past. This is not something that you just do." She argued.

"We're talking about your life, Phoebe." Prue retorted.

"And I'm talking about yours, Prue." Phoebe returned. "I'm just saying I think we should think this over a little bit." She reasoned, her gaze shifting from Prue to Piper and then to Paige.

"Look, you had that premonition today for a reason. It must mean that we're supposed to do something about it." Prue countered logically.

Paige shifted her weight from foot to foot, appearing thoughtful. "There might not be another way to find out what had happened." Paige added.

"How do you know it's something that I did? Maybe it's a demon or a warlock that puts me there." Phoebe suggested.

Prue paused before continuing. "Do you really want to wait to find out?" She asked. Everyone was silent and it became obvious that Phoebe didn't want to wait. Her eyes flickered over to the silent Andy. "Are you fine with us going?" Prue wondered.

Andy hesitated, not entirely sure whether to trust that whitelighter or not. In the end, it seemed all the sisters agreed that it was best so he nodded. "Yeah, just all four of you be careful."

Prue smiled at him before she turned back to the Book of Shadows. "Okay, pack your bags. We go, try to find out what happened and hopefully come back with enough information to stop it. We're gonna need a date, Phoebe." She prompted as she carried the book to their ritual table with Piper, Phoebe, and Paige following.

"February 12, 2009. That's two weeks before the date I saw in my premonition." Phoebe finally replied.

"Cool, that should be plenty of time." Paige decided while Prue gave a slight nod.

"I wonder how I look…" Piper suddenly thought aloud.

Phoebe cast her a funny look as she scribbled the date onto a piece of paper. "Piper, you look great but this is hardly the time…"

"Not now…" Piper interrupted, giving Phoebe an impatient look. "In the future. When we went back in the seventies we saw ourselves as kids and now we'll be seeing ourselves walking around ten years older. All that vanquishing… think of the wear and tear." Piper elaborated.

"Ooh… is it too late to back out?" Paige asked.

Andy couldn't suppress the chuckle at the sisters' worries. Prue smirked, shaking her head slightly. "Andy, don't forget to go to work. We'll be back soon." He nodded and she picked up the paper that had 02/12/2009 written on it. She held it over the ritual bowl while Paige used a match to light the paper. Prue dropped the flaming paper into the bowl and began the spell. "Hear these words, hear the rhyme…"  
"We send to you this burning sign…" Piper followed.  
Phoebe went next. "Then our future selves will find…"  
"In another place and time." Paige finished. The sisters were surrounded with white orbs and disappeared, leaving Andy alone in the Manor.

~PO4~

Penthouse 2009

Prue opened her eyes to find herself in a lounge chair on an outside balcony that overlooked downtown San Francisco. Her jaw dropped at the view and she scrambled to her feet. She recognized the area almost immediately. Probably a five-minute walk to Bucklands Auction House from here. She vaguely wondered if she still worked there when a slight breeze blew her hair into her face. Prue pushed it out of the way but then spun around, looking for a mirror as she wondered what she looked like now. There wasn't one on the balcony so she pushed the sliding glass doors that led to the inside open, pulled the curtain back and stopped dead at the sight of her apartment, if it could be called that. A huge kitchen/dining/conservatory area with an open floor plan greeted her. She didn't see a mirror though so she picked one of the hallways leading off and ran down it. Prue ended up in what had to be the master suite. Another big room with a lot of light. The walk-in closet was filled with clothes and shoes that made Prue relax a little as she definitely hadn't lost her style over the years. She opened one of the doors leading off and found an office area with papers scattered around. Thinking to come back there after finding the mirror she went to the other door which opened to the master bath and included a mirror. She was relieved to see she hadn't changed too much. Her ravendark hair was long and straight with a few lighter highlights and that was the biggest change. Her style was a touch different but that didn't mean it wasn't flashy and sexy. Prue jumped as someone came running into the bathroom.

"Mommy!" The high-pitched voice of a child sounded just before a young girl around the age of eight or nine came into view. The girl was practically a younger copy of Prue except the eyes. She had blue-green eyes instead of Prue's pale blue. "Tell Andie she can't come with me to the park." The little girl ordered in the way children often do. She was pointing back behind her where another little girl came stomping in.

"That's not fair! Bree always gets to go out." She whined. Andie looked to be about five or six, had lighter brown hair and Prue's eyes.

Bree glared at Andie and crossed her arms. Prue thought the stance looked rather dramatic. "Zayne invited me to go to the park with him. Not you. Mom already said you couldn't come with me." Bree argued.

Andie stomped her feet, obviously upset, when ice crystals spread across the floor where her feet had touched. Prue's jaw dropped at the obvious display of magic. Bree responded similarly but flames spread across the floor, leaving faint scorch marks. "Oh my god, you two stop that!" Prue ordered, staring wide-eyed as the ice and fire disappeared though the girls still glared at each other. It then dawned on her that she was actually supposed to deal with them. Of course, she didn't remember what she had said before which proved to be a problem. "Andie…" Prue trailed off trying to make sure she'd heard the name correctly. She vaguely wondered why she named a girl Andie before continuing. "… What did I tell you before?" Prue asked. Prue silently prayed the little girl wasn't going to lie about it as she probably wouldn't be able to catch it.

Andie looked down at her feet and mumbled almost inaudibly, "That I couldn't go."

Before Prue could say anything there was a ding that announced the elevator was opening. Bree gave an excited squeal and ran out to meet whoever it was. Prue hastily followed with Andie trailing behind. A woman probably in her mid-thirties stepped out of the elevator with a boy that Prue guessed was Bree's age with her. Zayne, she presumed, had dirty blonde hair and dark green eyes. His mother the same. "Hey, Prue." The woman greeted with a bright smile.  
Prue smiled back… of course she didn't know her name. "Hi. How are you?" She asked conversationally.

"Alright, you know how birthday parties are. Thanks for letting Brianna come. We'll keep a close eye on her and she's free to stay at our place until you get off of work." She offered cheerfully.

It took Prue a moment to put together Brianna was the same person as Bree. "Right, Brianna, yeah, thanks…" Prue stammered, earning a funny look from the woman. "I'll, uh, pick her up at your place after work then." She hastily covered. Bree scampered back to Prue and threw her arms around her waist. Prue was stunned for a moment before she kneeled down so that she was eye-to-eye with her daughter. She couldn't help but smile. "Now, you be good, okay?"

Bree nodded enthusiastically. "I will and I promise I'll be very careful." With that Brianna spun around and ran back to Zayne.

Zayne waved as Bree joined him. "Thanks, Mrs. Trudeau." He gratified and he offered a smile to Andie. "I'll save you a piece of cake and have Bree bring it back for you." Zayne promised so that Andie smiled and waved as Zayne and Bree followed his mother.

"Bye, Mom. Bye, Andie." Bree called just before the elevator door closed, obscuring them from sight.

Prue had fallen silent the moment Zayne called her 'Mrs. Trudeau.' She looked down at her hand but there wasn't a ring on her finger, adding to the confusion. She then remembered Andie was still with her. Prue looked to find Andie looking rather upset at being left behind. She hesitated, knowing she really needed to find her sisters. The Manor was the best bet, but she couldn't leave Andie here by herself.

"Mom?" Andie called, turning wide blue eyes up to her.

"Yeah?" Prue answered hesitantly. That 'Mom' thing was still weird.

"Can we go see Mel?" Andie asked hopefully, a faint smile on her face.

Mel? Who was Mel? Prue bit her lip, not really knowing what to say. "Uh, maybe in a little while… how about we go out and get some ice cream." Prue suggested. What kid could turn down ice cream?

Andie's face that had initially fallen at not being able to see Mel, lit again at the mention of ice cream. "Okay." She jumped up and down excitedly.

Prue reached down and lifted Andie up into her arms. "Alright, Andie Candy, let's go get some ice cream." She grabbed her purse which was next to the door (Sometimes it's a good thing old habits die hard) and stepped into the elevator, letting it take her and Andie down.

"Mommy, 'Andie Candy' is for five-year-olds and I'm six now." Andie explained to her.

Prue smirked. "Really? I'll try to remember that." She laughed, tousling Andie's light brown hair. The elevator opened on the main floor and she hadn't taken more than three steps out when she was bombarded by several assistants asking her what she needed of them.

One assistant in particular, a woman with reddish hair and a permanent smile, ushered them all away. "Get Mrs. Trudeau her limousine out at the front." She ordered before turning her smile on a stunned Prue. She started to speak when she seemed to notice Andie in Prue's arms. "Hey there, cutie." She smiled wider if possible. "Where are you dropping the girl off at? I'll let the driver know."

Prue's eyes widened and she couldn't stop a freaked out laugh. "Uh, did you say limousine?" Prue demanded. The woman raised her eyebrows at Prue as if she was crazy. "I mean, uh, the limousine… I thought it was at the shop or something." She amended hopefully.

"It's always ready for you." The woman returned.

"Oh well, I'm not dropping off Andie." Prue emphasized her daughter's name as the woman had called 'the girl' which Prue thought was rather rude. "We're going to get ice cream." Prue explained.

She looked up again with that same look. "You have a meeting with the Bucklands' international managers this morning. They flew in from Paris, Tokyo, and London, remember?" She reminded her.

"Can't someone else talk to them?" Prue asked.

The woman's smile faded a little. "You own them so no, not really." She replied.

Prue had to work to keep her jaw from dropping. "Well, they can wait. I've got stuff to do." Prue stated, heading for the door.

The woman hurriedly followed. "Okay, to the closest ice cream shop and then?"

"1329 Prescott Street." Prue answered. She suddenly noticed the name tag on the woman. "Thanks, Anne." She added.

"No problem, the limousine should be waiting for you. I'll see you at Bucklands soon." Anne chirped.

Prue smiled at the chauffeur that was indeed waiting for her. He was pretty hot and he opened the door for her. It was once she was comfortably seated with Andie beside her that she realized Andie was playing with the necklace around her (Prue's) neck. She looked at it and her smile faded as she saw a wedding band and an engagement ring on the chain. She was married to Andy, but where was he?

~PO4~

Paige's Apartment 2009

Paige jerked awake to find herself at a table in a small but homey kitchen area of an apartment. She looked down at the papers in front of her and found she was supposed to be grading them. She looked thoughtful for a moment before looking around her. There was a plaque on the wall that read 'Teacher of the Year.' So she became a teacher, interesting. Paige stood up from the table when, to her surprise, Glen came stomping in.

He slammed some papers on the table in front of her. "There you go, Paige. Sign them." Glen told her, passing her a pen.

Paige hesitated, reading over the paper. The title read 'Divorce Proceedings.' Her jaw dropped and her eyes stared down at her hand where there was a ring. "Oh my god!" She exclaimed.

"What? Isn't that what you want?" Glen demanded. He rolled his eyes and stomped over to the refrigerator where he grabbed a drink. "You know, Paige, I just don't know what you want anymore." He admitted bitterly.

Paige opened her mouth to say something but then closed it when she realized she didn't know what was safe to say. "Um, hold on, I need to go talk to my sisters." She decided… that was safe enough.

Glen looked up and narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're supposed to be laying low. I'd prefer if you didn't go and get yourself caught by the witch hunters." His tone softened just a little.

"Witch hunters?" Paige repeated.

"What's the matter with you?" He questioned suspiciously.

"Never mind." Paige whispered. "Look, this is going to sound really strange but does one of my sisters still live in the Manor?"

Glen narrowed his eyes more. "Is this one of those magic things? Have you lost your memory or something?" He guessed.

"Sorta… so, my sisters?" Paige pressed impatiently.

Glen didn't answer immediately as he looked at her curiously. "Yeah, Piper still lives in the Manor. Prue lives in the apartments next to Bucklands." Glen answered.

Paige nodded deciding it was best just to go to the Manor. Prue would probably think of the same thing. "What about Pheebs?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. This time Glen didn't answer. He pointed at the TV that Paige just now noticed was on. Paige looked stunned by the headlines. 'Phoebe Halliwell set to burn at the stake today.' "Oh my god!"

She exclaimed for the second time that day. They were supposed to have come two weeks before not the day of. She shook the thought away and closed her eyes, concentrating on the Manor. She started to orb when Glen grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

"What are you doing?" Glen snapped.

Paige glared at him. "What's it look like I'm doing? I'm going to the Manor." She retorted.

"Then drive! I don't want to see you end up there too." Glen countered, pointing at the TV.

Paige hesitated. "It's that bad?"

Glen nodded seriously. "Yeah, it's that bad." He assured her. Glen grabbed at some car keys and tossed them to her. "I'll see you when you get back." He called over his shoulder as he disappeared into another room.

"Okay." Paige muttered, turning for the door and heading out to meet her sisters.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor 2009

Piper opened her eyes to find herself lying on the couch in the conservatory of the Manor. Before she had gotten off the couch a little girl came running in, her brown hair flying behind her. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy." She called, sliding to a stop in front of Piper.

Piper's eyes widened as she pushed herself into a sitting position on the couch. "Uh, I think you have the wrong house. Certainly the wrong mommy." Piper explained, backing away just a little once she was on her feet again.

The girl just smiled. "Stop fooling." She laughed, wrapping her arms tightly around Piper's waist. Piper tensed but before she could say anything the doorbell rang. "Car pool!" She yelled, running to get the door.

Piper watched her run off but caught sight of herself in the mirror. "Ooh…" She mumbled, running a hand through her longer, wavy hair. She caught sight of the ring on her finger and smiled. Through the reflection of the mirror she saw the 'Execution of Phoebe Halliwell' come up on the TV screen. Her faint smile fell as she spun on the TV. "Phoebe." Piper pointed frantically at it. "Where's the volume?" She hissed, looking around for the remote, but the volume suddenly increased on it's own.

"More news on the execution of Phoebe Halliwell coming up in just a moment. Now back to your regular scheduled programming MTV's Real World 18, on the moon…" The report trailed off into something uninteresting to Piper.

"Mom, I'm going to be late!" The little girl's yell sounded from the foyer.

Piper reluctantly looked away from the TV. "Okay, uh, TV, shut up. Mute. Or something." She ordered it, waving her hand at it as if that would do something. Piper then hurried over to the front door just as the door opened.

The woman that came in smiled sympathetically at Piper. "Morning, Piper. You all right?" She asked carefully.

Piper looked confused, wondering if she shouldn't be. "I guess." Piper finally answered.

The woman crossed her arms across her chest and nodded in understanding. "Yeah, with your sister, it's rough, I know. So, don't worry about your little one. I'll get her to school like you asked but, uh, are you sure you want me to take her to your ex's?" The woman questioned.

"Ex? As in husband? As in mine?" Piper blurted out before meeting her little girl's eyes and remembering she was supposed to keep up pretenses. "Uh, yes, if that is what I told you then yes." She amended with a faint smile.

"So you and him are getting along better now?" The woman pressed.

"Maybe." Piper replied with a shrug. "Prue? Prue?" She turned around and called behind her, expecting her sister to be around here somewhere.

The woman watched her curiously for a moment before nodding and turning her attention to Piper's daughter. "Okay, kiddo, let's hit the road."

The little girl grabbed her bag and started out the door after the woman but hesitated and ran back to Piper. Piper leaned down as she started to whisper to her. "Don't worry, Mommy. I promise I'll do what you ask. I won't use my magic again, ever." She promised. She gave Piper a hug before dashing off to get into the car.

Piper watched her go with a look of hurt and confusion on her face. The little girl waved back at her from the car and Piper smiled, waving back. But then the door shut and the car drove off. Almost as soon as the car disappeared down the road, Prue's limousine stopped in front of the house. Prue stepped out, holding Andie in her arms with several assistants crowding around her and refusing to leave her alone.

"Okay, okay, enough people! Stop touching me." Prue snapped while Piper stepped down toward her with wide eyes. "Stay… stay… stay." Prue ordered her assistants, finally managing to turn around. She hurried up the steps, pulling Piper along with her until they were safely in the house.

"Mommy, I thought you said we weren't going to come see Mel." Andie spoke up before sticking a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

Prue looked at a loss for words as she looked at Andie, confused. "Um, well, I changed my mind." She replied.

Andie seemed fine with that answer. She turned in Prue's arms so that she could face Piper. "Aunt Piper, where's Mel at?" She asked.

Piper was too busy staring at the limo and then at Andie to get the question until Prue stepped on her foot to get her attention. "Ow…" She glared at Prue. "… I don't know." Piper answered to Andie.

Prue carefully put Andie down on the floor. "Why don't you go throw that away while I talk with your Aunt Piper…" Prue suggested, pointing to Andie's empty ice cream cup. Andie nodded and took off deeper into the Manor.

"Alright, Prue, what's going on?" Piper questioned while pointing to the limo and assistants on the other side of the door.

Prue smirked and shrugged. "I don't know but I could really get used to it. I was listening to my assistants brag about me and I don't just work at Bucklands. I own it and three more in Paris, Tokyo, and London." She explained.

Piper looked back to where Andie disappeared. "And you have a kid!" Piper exclaimed.

Prue's gaze shifted to where her daughter had gone. "Actually, I have two. My other daughter was picked up to go to a birthday party… strange isn't it?" Prue hastily pulled out her wallet from her purse and pulled out a picture of Brianna.

"Oh my god, she looks exactly like you. What's their names?" Piper demanded.

"Brianna, I think. And the one here is Andie." Prue replied.

Piper nodded thoughtfully. "Brianna from our ancestor I assume and Andie's name is obvious. Is your Andy the father?" Piper wondered.

"I guess. I'm married to him…" Prue started, pulling out her necklace that had her rings on it. "… of course, I haven't seen him." She admitted.

"He's probably at work." Piper offered.

"Okay, who's limo is outside blocking the entire driveway?" Paige interrupted as she shut the front door behind her.

Prue smirked at Paige. "That would be mine." Prue claimed before glancing over Paige. "Wow, did you not age at all?" She asked, appearing impressed with how good her sister still looked.

Paige raised her eyebrows. "Uh, I don't know. I haven't actually looked at myself. You guys don't look any different really." She stated.

"Well, that's good to know." Prue announced.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it's real miracle for you after having two kids." She teased.

"You have kids?" Paige squealed.

"Two girls; Brianna and Andie… speaking of Andie, where did she go?" Prue mumbled, spinning around as if she expected to find Andie waiting behind her.

"That's not all. She's stinkin' rich too." Piper added and Paige's hand rested on her hips with a look of disbelief.

Prue glared at them. "Well, how'd you guys do?" She returned. Piper laughed humorlessly and led the way into the conservatory. "Is that a good thing or….?" Prue started, following after Piper with Paige right behind.

"Well, if you ignore my apparently failed marriage and the fact I'm still living in the Manor." Piper replied, trailing off with a shrug.

"So you're married?" Paige pressed eagerly.

"Was." Piper corrected.

Paige shrugged as if that didn't matter. "If it makes you feel any better, Glen dropped divorce papers in front of me when I woke up." She offered.

Prue raised her eyebrows. "You're married to Glen?" She demanded.

"For now…" Paige trailed off thoughtfully. She then turned her attention back to Piper. "So what else?" She wondered.

"Well, my daughter is on her way to school." She continued.

Paige smiled wider. "You have a daughter too!"

"Yeah, and and and she's beautiful." Piper stammered, grabbing the nearest picture of her and thrusting it at her sisters.

Prue grabbed it from Paige's hands before her younger sister even had time to look at it. "Oh, of course she is. What's her name?" Prue inquired, smiling down at the picture while Paige looked over her shoulder.

Piper opened her mouth to answer but then realized she didn't know. "Oh god… I don't know!" She panicked. "But, you guys, she has powers and for some reason I told her not to use them." Piper went on.

There was a swirl of red lights and Andie materialized in front of Prue with a bag of cookies in her hand. "Can you open these?" She asked hopefully.

"Speaking of powers…" Prue mumbled while Piper stared down at Andie with wide eyes and Paige looked extremely impressed.

"Were those orbs?" Piper blurted out.

Paige nodded slightly. "Yeah, red ones. Totally awesome."

Prue debated whether to open the bag of cookies since they had just had ice cream but decided keeping Andie occupied while they talked was more important at the moment so she agreed. "Here you go." Prue passed them back down and Andie skipped over to the sofa where she settled comfortably and watched the commercials on TV.

"She's adorable, Prue." Paige complimented with a large smile as she watched her niece.

Piper waved her hands quickly so as to gain her sisters' attention without gaining Andie's. "Why would I tell her not to use her powers?" She questioned.

Paige stepped closer so she wouldn't have to talk as loud. "Glen says things are really bad here. Witch hunters or something. He wouldn't even let me orb here because he thought I might get caught and executed or something." Paige explained.

"Speaking of this future, does anybody know why we're in our future bodies? I mean, I thought we were supposed to come here and see them." Prue admitted, looking from Piper to Paige and back again.

Piper shrugged. "Well, apparently going to the past isn't the same as coming to the future. I just wish that since we're in our future bodies that we could have some memory of what's happened in the last ten years." She ranted.

"Oh my god!" Paige squealed, earning curious looks from her sisters. "Phoebe's in her body… and her execution is today. I saw it on the news." She exclaimed with wide eyes.

At that moment Andie sat up on the couch so she could see Prue, Piper, and Paige. "Mom, look, Aunt Phoebe's on the news." She pointed excitedly at the TV which was talking about Phoebe's execution.

"Oh, TV, louder, louder." Piper ordered.

"No, I don't want her to hear it!" Prue snapped under her breath, looking frantically at Andie. She hastily ran forward and picked Andie up off the couch. "I bet you want some milk to go with those cookies. Come on, let's go get some." She invented and dashed off out of the room. Only a second later Paige and Piper became aware of Prue listening in telepathically since she couldn't be in the room.

"… Execution. We're less than eight hours away now until the burning of Phoebe Halliwell. The witch accused of murdering Cal Greene six months ago…" The reporter was saying. "… Let's go there now live where Sierra Stone is standing by… Sierra." Paige slowly moved to sit on the couch, her eyes never leaving the TV screen and Piper sat down on the arm rest next to her while the camera switched to show a new reporter, apparently Sierra.

"San Francisco District Attorney, Nathaniel Pratt, who's discovery of the witch last August, has made him an early favorite of the Governor's seat, just came out to make a statement. Let's listen in."

The camera zoomed in on Nathaniel Pratt surrounded by dozens of reporters. "This is a reflection of our citizen's resolve to ferret out the hidden evil. To turn fear into fight, and band together as one. To cleanse our city of it's greatest threat. Tonight, Phoebe Halliwell, will burn for her crime. And when she does, let that be a warning to other witches out there. You're next." He warned. Nathaniel Pratt grinned and pointed into the camera. Paige and Piper stared in open-mouthed shock at the words and only looked away when Prue, appearing equally shocked, came back in, her grip on Andie tighter than it had been before.

~PO4~

"Oh, surprise, here we go, up the stairs into the attic, grabbing the Book of Shadows. Please tell me we still aren't going to be doing this ten years from now." Prue stated, crossing the attic. She was only partially paying attention as the other part was focusing on watching (literally) Andie play with the dollhouse downstairs through her advanced telepathy.

Piper stopped in front of the empty pedestal where the Book usually stayed. "Apparently not…" Piper remarked casually.

"What are you guys mumbling about?" Paige asked as she joined them only to find them standing around the pedestal.

"The Book is gone." Piper announced.

Prue spun around and started opening up trunks and cabinets, searching for it. "It's got to be here. We need it to find the return spell." She stressed bordering on panic.

"Prue…" Piper started in a soothing voice.

Prue ignored her. "You guys, just help me look for it." Prue ordered.

Paige ran forward and grabbed Prue wrists, pulling her around to face her. "Calm down, Prue. Just relax." She soothed, pushing a strand of Prue's dark hair out of her face.

"Yeah, we'll find it." Piper assured her.

Prue yanked her wrists out of Paige's hands and spun on Piper. "You don't know that. I mean, what if it's lost? What if we can't find it…?" She demanded but didn't wait for them to answer. "… Then we're stuck in our future bodies with no way of getting out of them and no way of saving Phoebe." Prue yelled. She waved her hand for emphasis and everything in the attic flew against the wall and was crushed by the sheer force of her telekinesis. When the explosion settled a large hole, almost the entirety of the wall, had appeared and pieces of the ceiling fell to the ground.

"Been working out?" Piper quipped.

Paige couldn't keep the impressed smile from crossing her features. "Wow, you're good."

"I guess that's a little sample of what ten years does to our powers." Prue declared, still staring at the destruction in surprise.

"And to our attic…" Piper agreed.

"Jeez, I don't envy your future self, Piper. That's going to take forever to clean." Paige exclaimed. At the word 'clean' everything that had been destroyed began to reform and rearrange itself the way it had been before. With the help of shining blue and white orbs, of course.

Piper placed her hands on her hips and looked around thoughtfully. "That's funny. Same power, polar opposite actions." She pointed out. "Handy." She laughed at Paige's surprised expression. Piper watched as the pedestal came floating back and saw the key stuck at the bottom. "Oh, a key." She stated as the pedestal righted itself in front of them. Piper immediately bent down to pull it out and held it up for her sisters to see.

"It's the key to my wall safe at Bucklands." Prue realized, taking it from Piper.

"Do you think that means it's there? We've never taken the Book out of the house before." Piper mumbled, sounding confused. "Well, with the exception of Paige and Phoebe that one time." She amended.

Paige rolled her eyes. "I've said I was sorry about that." She complained.

Prue just smirked. "Our future selves might have as well. The question is why." Prue allowed with a shrug.

"If I were to guess, we probably didn't want someone to catch us with the book and then they spread the word that they think we're witches." Paige offered.

"So let's check Bucklands, maybe it'll give us some answers." Piper suggested.

Prue nodded slightly. "Alright, we'll go there first and then to Phoebe to see if she's all right." She decided, leading the way to the door. "I don't know if I want Andie to see what we're doing…" Prue admitted.

"Well, maybe I can call Glen and see if he can watch her for us." Paige proposed, earning a grateful nod from Prue. "My place is on the way so we can drop her off before going to Bucklands…"

~PO4~

Hobart State Penitentiary 2009

"Hello? Hello?" Phoebe yelled, searching for someone that would talk to her. She paced her cell nervously as she continued to be ignored. "Could somebody please answer me? I really need to talk to someone!" There was still no answer and she crossed her arms with a loud huff. "Okay, how about a snack? Maybe some crackers, peanuts, or something?" Phoebe insisted. A guy finally walked up to her cell and slid a tray of slop under for her. "A tray full of goo?" She asked him only for him to walk away. "Hey, wait a minute!" She pressed up against the glass and was shocked backwards. She stared at the glass with a wary expression. "Don't I even get a phone call?" She sighed.

"Shut up, witch!" The man's voice carried from another room right before he slammed the door to block her voice.


	2. Morality Bites Part 2

Paige's Apartment 2009

Paige pushed into her apartment with Andie skipping along beside her while Prue and Piper came up with a plan to talk to Phoebe in Piper's jeep. Her eyes scanned the immediate area for Glen but didn't see him. "Hey, Glen?" Paige called.  
Glen came in from the back bedroom, dressed in some hiking clothes and a full hiking backpack. "Yeah?" He asked.

"Are you going somewhere?" Paige wondered with a hesitant glance down at Andie.

"Hi, Uncle Glen!" Andie squealed, running up to Glen.

Glen smiled genuinely and scooped Andie up into his arms. "Heya, kid." He greeted, bouncing her slightly in his arms. He then turned to Paige. "Hiking. National Park. Remember?" Glen paused as he remembered their previous conversation. "I guess you don't remember that either."

Paige shook her head. "Uh, no, I don't. Actually, anything from the last ten years, but anyways, can you watch Andie? Prue, Piper, and I have some things to do." She explained offhandedly.

Surprise crossed Glen's face. "I can if you feeling like sharing what's going on." Glen bargained.

"Short version, Phoebe had a premonition of herself being executed so we cast a spell to bring us to the future to find out what happened so we can stop it." She summarized, forgetting about Andie and keeping appearances. To her relief, Andie didn't appear to have understood the significance of what she had just said.

"Just don't do anything obvious. There are security measures that can detect magic, witch hunters have practically replaced officers, and you don't want to risk Brianna, Andie, or Melinda being under suspicion." Glen advised, knowing full well not to argue with her on this.

Paige gave a slight nod. "Thanks." She gratified, heading for the door. She paused and looked back at Glen. "Are we… okay?" Paige inquired hesitantly.

Glen smiled faintly. "We have some issues…" He admitted with a shrug. "It's just that I travel and you never seem to be able to come with me due to one thing or another. And then all this started and you had to finally tell me your family secret…" He trailed off for a moment.

"I didn't tell you before?" Paige asked in surprise.

Glen shook his head. "Nope. Quite a surprise for me really." Glen allowed. He laughed softly at some memory before looking up at Paige. "Go on, go help your sisters. I've got Andie." Paige offered him a smile and dashed out of the apartment for her sisters.

~PO4~

Outside Bucklands 2009

Piper stepped out of the passenger side of her jeep, Paige out the back, and Prue out of the driver's seat into the Bucklands parking area. "I can't believe you get a limo and a driver and I've still got my same old car." Piper ranted good-naturedly.

Paige rolled her eyes and laughed a little. "So, Prue, now that you're Mrs. Rich, do you still support me financially?" She asked jokingly.

"Paige, I always support you." Prue assured and then smirked mischeviously. "Piper, however, nah." She laughed at the glare Piper sent in her direction.

"Be careful what you say, Missy." Piper returned. "I could easily push you over. Those heels are high." She pointed out with forced seriousness. Prue appeared as if she was about to make some clever retort when Piper saw a guy walk into someone just a few feet from them. The guy's coffee spilled everywhere and Piper flicked her wrists instinctively. The three sisters stopped walking as the street froze around them.

"Wow… not just our powers that have grown, eh, Prue?" Paige remarked as she looked up and down the street.

Prue tilted her head to the side. "You just froze…"

"Everything." Piper finished for her. Piper stared around at everything with wide eyes. "What a difference a decade makes." She agreed with Paige's statement.

Prue, Piper, and Paige's head snapped to the side as Leo stalked toward them, appearing none-too-happy. "What the hell are you doing?" Leo demanded.

"Leo, I'm so glad you're here. I have so many ques…" Piper reached out to hug him but he stepped away. She hesitated a moment. "Uh, what's wrong?" Piper asked with a glance at Prue and Paige.

"You know, I knew you'd go and do something stupid like this…" Leo started, causing Piper's mouth to drop at the harsh words.

Paige's eyes widened while Prue appeared speechless. "Leo!" Paige scolded, hands on hips.

Leo ignored her. "You used your magic in public. What's the matter with you? Are you insane?" He snapped.

"Uh, Leo…" Piper trailed off and Prue hastily moved forward to grab Paige's arm as she looked ready to attempt to send Leo flying for talking to Piper the way he was. Remember he thinks we know what's going on. Prue's thought flashed through both Piper's and Paige's mind.

"You want to end up like your sister? Huh? We had an agreement. No using magic for Melinda's sake. Not to mention you're putting your own nieces at risk too." Leo continued to rant.

Piper raised her eyebrows. "Melinda?" She repeated.

Leo looked furious at the question. "Our daughter! What's wrong with you?"

Melinda… Mel… You think? Prue asked silently. Piper just shrugged, deciding she'd rather not have to ask Leo about that too.

Wait, did he say 'our' as in him and Piper? Paige interrupted with another telepathic question.

Prue couldn't hold back that question. "Wait a second, you're Piper's ex?" She demanded in disbelief. Leo was giving the three sisters suspicious looks when a woman walked around the corner and saw the frozen street.

The woman easily caught sight of the four people not frozen in the middle of the crowd. "Witch!" The woman screamed, pointing frantically at them.

"Okay, what is going on here?" Prue questioned to Leo as everything started to get bad.

"They don't like witches here." Paige answered, remembering what Glen had told her. She felt a sharp prod in her side as Piper pointed at the posters on the billboards and really all over the place. They read 'rid the evil, turn in witches' with a picture of Nathaniel Pratt.

"Over there! Witch!" The woman continued to scream and suddenly the street was unfrozen.

Leo grabbed Piper's arm and pulled her after him. "Alright, hurry, we gotta get you outta here before they see you." He explained while Prue and Paige held hands and hurried after.

"They?" Piper asked between breaths.

"The witch hunters." Leo stated. "Paige, follow after me." He ordered and then orbed out with Piper. Paige quickly followed, orbing Prue along with her.

~PO4~

Hobart State Penitentiary 2009

Phoebe looked up eagerly from the plate of slop that sat on her bed as she heard a door open. "Prue, Piper, Paige?" She called hopefully.

To her sincere disappointment, Nathaniel Pratt strutted up to her cell. "They haven't been to visit you before. Why would they come now? No… They're going to be as happy to get rid of you as I am." Pratt laughed, smiling all the while he walked up and down on the other side of the glass.

Phoebe watched him cautiously, shifting positions on her bed. "Who are you?" She asked.

Pratt snorted at the question. "I'm sorry. It's been so long since our last visit." He apologized, though obviously not sorry in the slightest. "Executions are a bitch to plan. Logistics, alerting the media, gathering the kindling." Pratt went on in a mocking voice.

"Uh, you know, I've had a lot of time to do some thinking about why I'm here…" Phoebe grasped at straws as she slowly approached the glass.

"No amount of thinking will affect the outcome. Justice will be served for your crime." Pratt interrupted.

Phoebe looked slightly hopeful. "But it wasn't really a big crime, was it?"

Nathaniel Pratt just smirked. "You are truly evil. What bigger crime is there than taking a man's life?" He retorted.

Phoebe's hopeful smile faded at his words and she backed away, dropping into a chair that was behind her. "I killed someone?" She gasped.

"Phoebe, what is this? An attempt to stay your execution? Plead insanity?" Pratt questioned, watching her with an exhasperated expression. "It won't work. You have five hours to live. Tick tock." He stated, turning to leave.

Phoebe jumped up from her seat and ran to the glass, only just managing to stop before running into it and being electrocuted. "What? Five hours? But that's not possible." She blurted out.

Pratt turned around and took steps back toward her. "Well, I'm happy to see the seriousness of your crime has finally hit you. See, you represent everything I abhor. You're a threat. A danger to everything that is good and pure in the world." He explained dramatically.

"You're talking out of fear. Just because you don't understand something, doesn't make it evil." Phoebe countered defensively.

"No, it's you who doesn't understand. You killed a man using your power and now you're gonna die because of it. I only wish I could burn all of your kind with you." He yelled.

There was a knock on the door and Pratt glanced over at the clock before turning his attention back to Phoebe. "But don't worry, in time I will. This is only the beginning." Pratt promised. With that, he turned and walked out.

~PO4~

The Underground 2009

Leo and Piper appeared in a swirl of orbs followed almost immediately by Prue and Paige. Leo immediately let Piper go and started walking through the underground where people lined the walls and attempted to survive in the world that had turned against them. He made no attempt to talk to the sisters so Prue trudged after him, beginning to get irritated.

"Leo, listen to me. The three of us, the Prue, Piper, and Paige you see before you are from the past. From ten years ago." Prue tried to explain to him again.

"So we have no idea what is going on." Piper added.

Leo spun on them. "Don't even lie to me. Right, Phoebe is set to die today and I only hope that this madness dies with her." He returned harshly.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Look, Leo, I can tell you're bitter, but seriously, this is getting ridiculous." She exclaimed.

"These people are in danger because of the witch trials Phoebe started! You should know that better than anyone." Leo turned on Paige.

Paige looked momentarily taken aback. "Me? Why me?" She asked.

Leo threw his hands in the air dramatically. "I don't know what you hope to accomplish by pretending not to know…" He trailed off as Piper suddenly stepped forward, her patience at it's end. She pulled him down and kissed him hard before stepping back to her sisters after she figured she got the point across. Leo appeared stunned and it took him a moment to regain his voice. "You haven't kissed me like that since…"

"Since I saved your sorry ass from the darklighter, remember?" Piper snapped.

Leo hesitated, thinking what she said over. "I remember you guys mentioning the future. It was when I was…" He stopped abruptly.

"What? When you were what?" Piper prompted impatiently.

"Never mind. You'll find out soon enough." Leo replied cryptically before glancing at Prue and Paige. "You guys don't remember anything from the past ten years? Any of it?" He repeated. Prue shook her head and Leo sighed. "These people, they're here underground because they've been accused of practicing witchcraft." He explained.

Prue followed his gaze to the people around them. "They're witches?" She asked.

"Some of them. Most of them have been falsely accused. Paige and I…" He glanced at Paige who suddenly looked more interested. "… have been bringing people here where they're safe. At least for now." Leo continued. He then looked directly at Paige. "You help teach the children. The ones that can't go to school because of the persecution. You know more about them than even I do." Leo admitted.

Paige didn't answer for several moments. "What… How… Phoebe…?" She stammered, unsure how to phrase her question.

Leo, however, seemed to understand. "Six months ago she killed a man. Cal Greene." He answered.

"The baseball player?" Piper blurted out in surprise.

Prue shook her head in disbelief. "This is crazy. I mean, Phoebe would never hurt anyone." She insisted.

"She hurt him because he murdered someone. Someone Phoebe cared about very much. A dear friend who he brutalized but a technicality set him free. Phoebe was furious, outraged. And that's when she crossed the line from protecting the innocent to punishing the guilty. She used her power to kill Greene, got caught, and her magic exposed by Pratt." Leo summarized.

"And this is the result? Modern day witch trials with Pratt at the helm?" Piper questioned, a little confused.

"With Phoebe at the stake." Paige added with a sigh.

Prue still looked disbelieving. "I don't buy it. Her power can't kill." She argued stubbornly.

Leo glanced in Prue's direction. "Well, it can now. It's been ten years. All your powers have grown." Leo retorted.

"We certainly saw that outside." Paige hesitantly agreed.

"We have to get to Phoebe and explain." Piper decided, interrupting them before a fight could break out.

"You can't." Leo snapped, causing all three sisters to look back at him curiously. "Alright, as it stands you three are safe. Pratt checked you out and he doesn't suspect you, or your children, are witches. To get to Phoebe you'd have to use your powers and they'll catch you then kill you… worse you risk making it known that it's hereditary and your children will die as well." Leo countered in all seriousness.

Prue narrowed her eyes. "Then I'll call Andy. Surely he can come up with a way to let Phoebe know." She suggested. Prue started digging through her purse in the hopes of finding her phone from which she hoped Andy's number would be programmed. Surely he had a cell too. Prue didn't notice the sympathetic look Leo cast at her.

"Prue…" Paige grabbed for her attention. When Prue looked up she nodded her head in Leo's direction.

"What?" Prue demanded, unable to help the feeling of dread sweep through her at his look.

Leo took the phone from Prue's hands and forced her to look at him. "Six years ago when you were pregnant with Alexandria…"

"Alexandria?" Piper interrupted.

Leo gave her a warning glare. "Little Andie." He amended. "You got on the Source of All Evil's radar. Rumor in the underworld was that he was going to send his personal assassin to kill you…" Leo paused as Piper gasped and Paige's jaw dropped. Prue remained emotionless. "… Your Andy went down to investigate…"

"And he got caught." Prue finished, her voice strained.

"There was no evidence. He just didn't come back up. Your future self refuses to believe that he was killed. That's why you still wear the rings. You just bury yourself in work so you don't have to think about it, I think." Leo explained.

A tense silence fell between them as they waited for some reaction from Prue. Eventually she pushed her hair away from her face which was carefully stoic. "It doesn't change anything. Paige can just orb us in to see Phoebe." She decided, changing the subject dramatically.

"You can't." Leo repeated forcefully.

Piper glared at him. "Leo, she is our sister. We're not gonna let her die." She snapped. Piper grabbed hold of one of Paige's hands while Prue grabbed onto Piper's other hand.

"No, wait! I'll go." Leo offered as he heard the Elder's jingle.

"Leo, we have to do this." Paige countered.

Leo shook his head. "No, I'm still your guide. And for Bree, Andie, and Mel's sake, let me orb in and keep you safe." He insisted.

Piper reluctantly nodded. "Fine, then we'll go back to Bucklands and get the book and get the spell to take us home." She allowed, earning a nod from Prue and Paige as well.

"We'll meet you at the Manor." Prue stated, hastily turning and walking away. She and Paige paused as Piper hesitated.

"Leo, um, we got married?" Piper finally asked. Leo smiled faintly but didn't reply as Paige ran back and grabbed Piper's arm, dragging her after Prue.

"Later, Piper, there'll be plenty of time later." Prue was saying.

Paige's laugh sounded, apparently at the look Piper was giving them. "Don't worry, Sis. We'll get to it."

~PO4~

Bucklands Auction House

The second Prue stepped out of the elevator with her sisters in tow, she was swarmed by a group of people trying to speak with her.

"Mrs. Trudeau, can you sign the P.O." One of the people asked as she followed Prue with a clipboard. Prue tried to wave her way through but there was little room to maneuver.

Anne came up from behind the sisters, pushing through Piper and Paige to get to Prue. "Give the woman some air. She will meet with all of you after lunch. Thank you." Anne spoke over the excited babble. The people reluctantly began to disperse and Anne pushed Prue in the direction of her office. Piper and Paige exchanged a glance before following after Prue. Of course, Anne didn't realize they were with Prue and closed the door to her office in their faces. "Alright, good news first. The acquisition paperwork was approved…" She trailed off when the office door opened behind her, admitting Piper and Paige. "Yes?" She pressed, looking annoyed at them.

"We're with her." Piper replied, pointing at Prue. Anne turned a look of confusion to Prue.

"It's Piper and Paige." Prue stated as if that should explain everything, but Anne continued to look confused. "My sisters…" She prompted.

Realization finally lit up Anne's face. "Oh, right, I almost forgot you had sisters other than…" She trailed off, obviously thinking of Phoebe. "I just thought she homeschooled your…" Anne tried to amend but stopped again, pointing at Paige.

"That's okay, I forgot your name too." Piper admitted with a grin.

Anne looked up from her clipboard, smiling sweetly. "Anne. Mrs. Trudeau's personal assistant." She answered, apparently proud of herself.

Paige glanced over at Prue. "Show off." Paige joked, elbowing Prue in the side.

Anne ignored the exchange and passed Prue the clipboard. "Okay, I just need to get your final okay on the acquisition." She explained. She turned to Piper and Paige while Prue flipped through the papers. "Your sister is amazing. I mean, at first the board was a little resistant, what with the layoffs it would entail, but Prue pushed it through." Anne announced cheerfully.

Prue looked a little horrorstruck. "I did?" She asked, her disappointment clearly shining through. Piper inconspicuously patted her back comfortingly.

"I thought the 'to hell with the little people' part was particularly persuasive." Anne continued unknowingly. Paige raised her eyebrows at that.

Prue suddenly slammed the clipboard down. "Okay, Anne, sweetie, I really need some private time with my sisters so if you can just…" Prue pushed her out the door while Paige and Piper couldn't help but giggle at their sister's expense.

"Oh, no problem, just buzz me." Anne managed to get out just before Prue shut the door in her face.

"Look at me!" Prue exclaimed, spinning around and stomping back to her desk. "Alright, I am booked with work, I'm about to lay off countless people with a flick of my pen, Andy is gone..." She dropped down into her chair irritably and grabbed at her wedding and engagement ring around her neck.

Paige frowned sympathetically. "You've got the kids." She offered hopefully.

Prue nodded a little dejectedly. "Who don't have a father because of me." Prue returned.

"Oh, honey, come here." Piper soothed, pulling her big sister up out of the chair and hugging her.

Prue sighed and pulled away from Piper. "Okay, well, I could dwell on the nightmare my life could become but we have work to do." She pulled herself together. Prue grabbed the key off her desk and took the picture off that hid her wall safe. "At least some things around here haven't changed." She allowed. Prue sighed in relief as the Book of Shadows was in the safe which she pulled out and put onto the desk.

"Okay, it should be after the demon with the tusk and before the spell to discourage a lover." Piper reminded her. Prue flipped through the book but couldn't find it.

"Oh please tell me it's not gone." Paige pleaded.

Piper's eyes widened and she took over flipping the book frantically. "It was here in 1999." She mumbled.

"Yeah and now it's gone. So if the spell can only have been used once, that must mean that our future selves have already used it. Which means…" Prue trailed off.

"We have no way of getting home." Piper finished for her, slamming the Book of Shadows closed.

"And it'll be significantly harder to save Phoebe." Paige added with a sigh.

~PO4~

Hobart State Penitentiary 2009

Phoebe was sitting in the chair that resided in her cell when Leo orbed in behind her. Phoebe immediately jumped up from her seat and spun on Leo. "Leo, oh thank god. Look, I know what they think I did and if you just…" She exclaimed loudly.

"Shh…" Leo interrupted with a cautious look through the glass. "They'll hear you." He explained.

Phoebe nodded in understanding and then looked around him as if she expected to see her sisters. "Where's the rest of the cavalry?" She asked in softer voice.

Leo frowned with a look of sympathy to Phoebe. "They're not coming." He answered.

"So what, you'll grab me and we'll just orb or whatever and we'll meet them back at the…" She started but trailed off when Leo shook his head.

"Phoebe, I'm so sorry." Leo apologized.

Phoebe stared at him in confusion. "For what? Did something happen to my sisters?" She demanded suddenly extremely worried for them now that she realized what kind of danger they would be in.

"Nobody's gonna rescue you." Leo clarified.

Phoebe laughed, pointing at him as if he was joking. "If that is some kind of whitelighter humor, let me be the first to tell you that you aren't a very funny race of people. With the exception of Paige, of course, but I think that's the witch in her." Phoebe slowly sat down on the edge of her bed while Leo looked away.

"You know, I wish you remembered what you've done. It would make this so much easier." Leo admitted, walking toward her and sitting down beside her. "Your future self used witchcraft for vengeance, Phoebe. Pratt is using that as a platform." Leo tried to help her understand.

"Why does everyone think I killed someone?" Phoebe demanded, shaking her head. "I wouldn't. I mean, I couldn't. What did I do? Premonition the man to death? My power is passive." Phoebe insisted.

"Not in the future. It's grown. It's changed. As have you. Which means that unfortunately you have to suffer the consequences." Leo returned as gently as he could.

Phoebe shook her head in disbelief. "No, I don't believe it."

Leo reached into his pocket and pulled out a newspaper clipping titled 'Baseball Player Greene Found Dead.' "Then believe what you see." He whispered, passing it to her.

Phoebe touched the paper and gasped as she was tugged into a premonition.

Phoebe was waiting under the stairs. When Cal Greene had passed her, she jumped up behind him and put her hands on either side of his head. Two electricity bolts flooded from them and allowed her to enter his mind where she threw every feeling, every memory related to her friend. In her concentration, she levitated into the air until Cal Greene dropped dead at her feet.

Phoebe remained in a stunned silence for several long minutes. "Oh my god. What have I done?" She breathed. Leo, realizing that she now understood, orbed out of the cell.

Phoebe jumped up in horror. "Leo? Help me!" She screamed after him to no avail.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor 2009

"You wanna tell me again exactly how screwed we are?" Piper asked, pacing a circle around the conservatory of the Manor.

"Pretty screwed." Prue admitted. She stared down at the Book of Shadows in front of her as if the future spell would suddenly appear.

Piper nodded slightly. "Thanks." She gratified.

Paige walked in, having been in the kitchen where she had grabbed three bottles of water for them. "Here we go, guys." She offered, passing one to each of them and keeping one for herself.

"I can think of a couple other drinks that could help us more." Piper mumbled, earning a glare from Prue for even thinking along those lines. "I wonder what's taking Leo so long." She immediately changed the subject.

Paige sat down on the couch next to Prue. "He's probably just trying not to get caught." She offered.

"Some of these pages are marked." Prue announced as she continued to flip through pages in the book. "The top corners are turned down and all of them are new spells." Prue realized.

Piper momentarily stopped pacing. "Such as?" She pressed curiously.

"Like, here's a spell to create a door, one to induce slumber, a glamour to change one's appearance." Prue threw out examples before picking up one of the little bags attached to some of the pages. "And some of them have these little baggies." She added.

"They must be a potion of some kind." Piper guessed, taking a seat on Prue's other side.

"If they're all marked, they must be a plan, right?" Paige suggested.

Prue shrugged. "Maybe, but what about these? Okay, one to create money, to bend someone's will, to erase a memory, a binding spell…" She listed.

Piper raised her eyebrows. "Binding? What are we thinking…?" Piper wondered aloud.

"Oh look, a prison map." Paige pointed out.

Prue settled back into the couch. "I think we were gonna use all this to break Phoebe out, but something is bothering me. Clearly some of these spells are for personal gain."

"Which would break the most basic of Wiccan rules. We wouldn't do that." Piper stated.

Paige didn't appear convinced. "To save Phoebe? I don't know. It's tempting." She argued lightly.

"Well, it's probably safe to say that our future selves would. We've got the evidence all over this table." Prue decided with a sigh.

Prue, Piper, and Paige looked up from the book at the sound of the door closing as Leo walked in. Piper jumped up and approached him. "Perfect timing. We found the book but we can't…" She trailed off when she didn't see Phoebe. 

"Where's Phoebe?" She asked.

"Where is she?" Prue repeated before he even had time to reply.

Leo hesitated a moment. "She's in prison where she belongs." He answered, awaiting the fireworks.

"Leo, you were supposed to bring her back here." Prue snapped.

"No, I said I'd go to her. And I did. To explain to her why she has to pay for her crime." Leo countered.

Paige narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Since when have you been so manipulative?" She demanded harshly.

Piper shook her head in disbelief. "You're our guide. You're supposed to protect us and you're just gonna let her die?" Piper ranted.

"You're signing her death warrant." Prue added, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I'm trying to protect the greater good. If Phoebe lives, if you use your magic to save her, then the persecutions will continue. And our daughter will grow up in a world where her power is punishable by death. Do you want that?" Leo retorted defensively.

"Of course not." Piper hissed. She opened her mouth to continue but Leo interrupted her.

"Well then it has to end with Phoebe. She has to die." Leo insisted.

Prue's hand twitched subtly. "Like hell." Piper hastily grabbed her hand before Prue destroyed the Manor.

"Leo, she is our sister! What do you not understand about that?" Paige yelled, appearing equally mad as Prue.

Piper flicked her wrists, freezing Leo. "Relax, you two. Especially you, Prue, we've seen what your power can do when you're angry and I doubt Paige will be able to focus enough to clean it up again." Piper ordered.

Prue took a deep breath. "He's gonna stay frozen, right?" She asked.

Piper glanced over at him. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll stay frozen." She assured her.

Paige grumbled and stomped over to the couch where she dropped down in front of the book. "Remind me to kick his ass when we find the time."

"Alright, let's get these spells." Piper suggested, ignoring Paige's comment and hoping to gather her sisters' attention to saving Phoebe for the moment.

~PO4~

Hobart State Penitentiary 2009

Nathaniel Pratt was surrounded by groups of people asking him questions while he spoke to the camera just in front of him. "Now, some people say this is a victory for me, but I say this is a victory for us all. For today a blight on everything that is good in our world, will be extinguished. Tonight, the witch will burn!" He promised to a wondrous applause.

~PO4~

Outside Somebody's House 2009

Prue, Piper, and Paige orbed in outside the house that Melinda was staying at. Piper hesitated once they had arrived, uncertainty clouding her decision. "Piper, if you're going to do this, you'd better hurry. Leo can unfreeze and be home any second. Besides, Phoebe has less than an hour." Prue reminded her gently. 

Piper nodded, took out one of the spells from the Book of Shadows, and walked to the front door. She paused again and looked through the window to see her daughter playing with a tea set inside the house. Piper sighed and looked down at the Binding spell in her hands. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. Tears pricked at her eyes and Leo orbed in behind her.

"You can't do it, can you?" Leo guessed.

Piper didn't look away from the window. "No." She whispered. "Our grandmother did it to us for protection." She sighed, wiping at her eyes.

"You don't have to bind her powers, Piper. We agreed that I'd take care of her and I will, I promise." Leo explained gently.

"I know you will." Piper admitted, finally turning away from the window to look at him. "So we were together. Does that mean you clipped your wings for me?" Piper asked.

Leo shook his head slightly. "No, you wouldn't let me. We tried to make it work with our powers but it didn't. And then this all happened…" He trailed off.

"Were we happy? Just for a little while were we happy?" Piper wondered, taking a shaky breath.

"Very. Much like Prue and Andy." Leo laughed softly at some memory. "That should tell you something."

Piper cracked a smile. "Are you gonna try and stop us?" She questioned, changing the subject away from them.

"I can't do that." Leo admitted.

Piper hesitated leaving things the way they were. "I hope you understand why I have to do what I'm doing." She stated.

Leo nodded assurance. "Yeah."

"What are we gonna do?" Piper asked softly.

Leo looked away at the question, not sure there was an answer for them. "What we always do." He finally replied.

Piper smiled faintly. "Talk about it later." She finished for him. She slowly turned and walked away from him toward where her sisters were waiting for her. "What is it? What's wrong?" Piper demanded, seeing her sisters' upset faces as Prue handed Paige back her cell phone.

Paige was the first to answer. "Well, I just called Glen and told him what we're about to do. He wasn't happy about it…" She started and then glanced at Prue.

"He's going to pick up Bree and keep her there if I'm not… or can't be back in time to get her from that party." Prue explained. Piper raised her eyebrows, obviously noting that there was more to her being upset. "I can't say good-bye to Andy, but I kinda want to see them again." Prue sighed, referring to her two children. Paige carefully pulled Prue into a hug. "You're gonna see them again, Prue." She promised.

"Not if we die tonight." Prue argued.

"We're not going to die tonight." Piper insisted, her tone of voice causing Paige and Prue to look up at her. "We're gonna find a way back to the present and we'll create a new future."

Paige nodded with a small smile. "One where Andy watches his children grow up, where Glen and I can come to an understanding and balance my magic with his lack off, and where Piper and Leo work things out. And most definitely one where there aren't any witch hunters." She finished Piper's thought.

Prue slowly shook her head. "What if we can't? What if we can never get home? According to Phoebe's premonition we fail." She pointed out.

"Our future selves fail. We still got a shot." Piper retorted, her face set in determination.

Prue allowed a smile to cross her features. "You're right. You're right. Let's go get Phoebe." She decided.

"That's more like it, Prue." Paige announced, patting her eldest sister on the back. They took hands and Paige orbed them out.

~PO4~

Hobart State Penitentiary 2009

The three sisters orbed in outside the state prison, none of them willing to risk their magic getting caught with all the people getting ready to burn Phoebe. They ran along the base of the wall perimeter, Prue leading the way while armed guards paced along the top.

"So far so good." Prue allowed. She was now carrying her high heel shoes so that she moved much quicker.

"Don't people normally break out of prison?" Piper quipped to lighten the tense atmosphere.

Prue glanced back behind her. "Nothing about this is normal." She pointed out casually. "Hey, Paige, what's our first spell?" Prue asked behind her where Paige was bringing up the rear.

Paige looked down at the pages in her hands. " 'To create a door.'" She answered, hesitantly looking over her shoulder to make sure no guards were coming up behind them.

"Okay, but where?" Piper wondered, her eyes flickering over the huge wall that they were now under.

"Anywhere is fine." Paige replied with a shrug. Paige passed the spell to Prue while Piper drew an imaginary door on the wall with her finger.

Prue watched her and smiled slightly. "Kinda small for us, dontcha think?" She joked.

"Suffer." Piper mumbled and nodded for Prue to read the spell.

"When you find your path is blocked, all you have to do is knock." Prue chanted.

Paige knocked on the concrete wall and it slid open, allowing them inside. Prue led the way with Paige and Piper right behind her. The door closed behind them.

~PO4~

Phoebe was waiting in her cell when several guards opened the door and advanced on her. They didn't say a word as they pulled out their handcuffs and closed them around Phoebe's wrists.

~PO4~

Prue, Piper, and Paige skidded around a corner to be faced with an armed guard. They gasped and jumped back as the man pointed his gun at them. "Freeze!" He ordered.

"Good idea." Piper agreed, flicking her wrists, freezing him.

"Ooh, that's so nice." Paige complimented as she pulled out the prison map so they could locate Phoebe's cell.

Prue carefully scanned over it. "Alright, um, her cell should be up those stairs, come on." She called, running past the frozen guard. "She'll be guarded, are we ready for this?" Prue prompted as they began to turn the last corner.

"Hell yeah." Paige answered while Piper just nodded.

They stopped outside Phoebe's empty cell. "We're too late…" Prue realized.

~PO4~

Phoebe ignored the looks cast at her as she was led through the prison hallways. As she approached the pyre was lit with high flames that died down and she was forced up and bound to it.

Pratt personally slid the metal bolt in that would hold Phoebe's chains in place when the fire began to rage. He ordered the guards out to join the large crowd and circled Phoebe like a hawk. When they were alone he took a deep dramatic breath. "I love the smell of burnt witch in the morning." Pratt mocked her.

Phoebe shook slightly as the moment had come but refused to let Pratt have any additional feelings of victory. "At least I'm paying for my crime. There'll come a day where you have to pay for yours too." She promised him.

"Remorseless to the end, huh?" Pratt laughed softly before turning to face the crowd. "Let today be a lesson to all those who would seek to defy human nature with their way of life. Let today serve notice that black magic will not be tolerated in our society and let today be remembered as the day we burned the witch." He pointed for the man to flip the switch that would turn the fire on.

Prue, Piper, and Paige opened the door at the last second. "Piper, freeze them." Prue ordered. Piper immediately froze the entire audience. Piper was on the stage and attempting to untie Phoebe without a second to spare.

"Prue, Piper, Paige." Phoebe whispered.

"Come on, we're getting you outta here." Piper stated, freeing Phoebe.

Paige tackled her in a hug. "Thank god, now let's go. We can just orb. They won't know any different." She decided, looking to Prue for permission.

"No, wait, you can't." Phoebe argued, causing them to freeze. Prue looked at her in surprise but Phoebe could also recognize the determination in them. "Prue, I'm serious." Phoebe insisted.

"What are you talking about?" Prue demanded.

Phoebe jumped down from the platform to stand in front of her sisters. "You guys have to leave… I deserve to be here. Or my future self does." She explained.

"That's bull." Paige interrupted, crossing her arms across her chest for emphasis.

Piper nodded along with Paige's comment. "You killed a killer. Don't be ridiculous." She retorted.

"Look, this is Pratt's personal crusade. This isn't about us, it's about him. Wherever we go, he will follow us. He will hunt us. He will hunt our families. If anybody should be punished, it should be him." Prue argued. She looked down at her hand, her eyes flickering from it and then to Pratt, ready to send one of her future-powered telekinetic blasts at him.

Phoebe noticed what she was thinking. "Prue, what are you doing?"

Prue didn't cast her a glance. "Saving the future good witches and our future." She answered.

Prue threw her hand back and Phoebe jumped forward to grab it. "Prue, wait!" Phoebe screamed. Prue hesitated and Phoebe spun her around to face her. "Don't become a murderer too. It has to end with me." She pleaded. Prue reluctantly let her hand drop to her side.

"Phoebe, we can't just let you die. Not for this. He deserved…" Paige started.

"The wrong thing done for the right reason is still the wrong thing." Phoebe interrupted softly. She choked back a sob. "Our job is to protect the innocent, not punish the guilty. And I crossed that line. I know that. And now you guys have to know it too." Phoebe whispered so that her sisters could only just hear her.

Tears fell down all the sisters' cheeks. "We're not leaving here without you." Prue repeated, her voice strained and barely more than a whisper.

Phoebe gently took Prue's hand in hers. "Prue, we were sent here for a reason. Maybe not to stop this like we thought but maybe to understand why it has to happen. Why you have to let this happen. I don't want to die, but I don't want you to die because of me." Phoebe willed her to understand. She knew they understood her when all three of her sisters pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you." Phoebe breathed and then returned to her place on the pyre.  
Prue, Piper, and Paige clung to each other as the room unfroze and the pyre was engulfed in flames around Phoebe.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor- Present

Prue, Piper, and Paige opened their eyes to find themselves back in the Manor wearing the clothes they had worn in the present time. "Prue, Paige…" Piper whispered, being the first to notice that they weren't watching an execution anymore.

"What are we doing here?" Prue asked, looking around the room.

"Phoebe?" Paige screamed her sister's name and took off into another room to search for her.

Piper turned terrified eyes to Prue. "You don't think she was… we saw…" She trailed off as Prue took her hand and they ran after Paige.

"Oh, please god, don't let it be true. Phoebe!" Prue pleaded.

Paige turned a corner into the foyer and nearly ran into Phoebe. "Oh my god, Phoebe." She threw her arms around her sister's neck.

Andy came storming down the steps for the second time that day. "Why's everyone screaming?" He questioned gruffly. He still wasn't entirely used to living with four women. They had a habit of screaming a lot over weird things. Before Phoebe or Paige answered, Prue and Piper practically tackled Phoebe as well. Andy suddenly noticed how they all seemed to have been crying. "What happened in the future? Is everything okay?" He demanded.

Andy was pretty much ignored for the moment as the sisters made sure Phoebe really wasn't dead. "We thought we lost you." Prue managed to get out, causing Andy to narrow his eyes in thought.

"You did. I was burned. And I could, I could feel the flames on my skin. And then I was here. I don't know what happened." Phoebe admitted in between gasps of air.

The sisters stumbled over to the couch, none of them letting their hold on Phoebe weaken. "It's okay, you're safe now, you're home." Prue soothed.

"Remote." Paige called, earning curious glances from Prue, Piper, and Phoebe as she turned the television on. The TV report on Cal Greene's homerun record flashed across the screen. "That's the baseball player." She pointed out.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes at the screen. "That's what triggered my premonition. We're right back where we started." Phoebe realized.

"Why?" Piper asked. "We didn't cast a spell to come back so why were we sent back?" She elaborated.

Prue shrugged slightly. "Maybe because it worked. We were sent into the future to find out what Phoebe did. We were sent back to stop it from happening." She suggested. Prue suddenly remembered her boyfriend that was standing at the foot of the stairs with a really confused look. Prue jumped up from the couch and ran into his arms.

Andy looked even more bewildered with the force of her hug. He noticed Piper and Paige in particular were watching with satisfied expressions. "Um, so is anyone going to tell me what happened after you left and how time rewound without me realizing it?" He questioned since it appeared they were finally giving him some attention.

"Can I take a rain check until a little bit later today?" Prue pleaded.

Their moment was interrupted by the sound of a dog barking outside their house. Paige narrowed her eyes and glared at the window. "Oh, you've got to be joking." She exclaimed, running to the window with Piper following her.

"This guy still hasn't learned his lesson." Piper groaned while Paige irritably pushed the window up. Piper prepared to freeze while Prue shifted around in Andy's arms so that she could see what was going on.

"Apparently neither have we." Phoebe interrupted them. All eyes flickered to her. "I think this is why we were sent back here to this moment in time. This is where it all started." She explained.

Paige looked from the man with his dog to Phoebe and back again. "The first time we used our magic to punish the 'guilty.'" Paige finished.

"But it's just a little thing. It's harmless…" Piper stuttered, pointing back behind her.

"Yeah but once you break the small rules, it's just a matter of time before the big ones are next." Phoebe countered lightly.

Prue smiled slightly, looking at Phoebe with something akin to pride. "A very smart girl once told me we were supposed to protect the innocent. Not punish the guilty."

Phoebe rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I haven't told you yet." She reminded her.

"Maybe you won't have to." Piper stated.

Paige was still looking out the window when the man turned around. "You guys…" She called their attention.

Prue was the first to speak aloud what they saw. "Pratt."

"Can I ask who Pratt is and why he's important?" Andy whispered in Prue's ear.

"Later." Prue replied, patting him on the arm.

"Do you think we should follow him?" Piper wondered as Pratt walked away with his dog.

Phoebe shook her head slightly. "No. Our little act of revenge might have been what sent Pratt on his path to seek his own." Phoebe remarked.

Prue nodded in agreement. "Which might have led him to start the future witch trials." She agreed.

"Witch trials?" Andy repeated. Prue turned her head around to glare at him playfully. "Sorry… later." He allowed reluctantly.

Paige smirked at their exchange. "Well, maybe now we won't have to worry about it." She offered hopefully.

"I still think we should keep an eye on him just in case." Piper argued.

"Absolutely." Prue promised just as Andy's cell phone went off.

Andy laughed softly. "It's Darryl. I guess I really do have to go into work." Andy sighed.

"Try and finish early. Maybe we can go out after." Prue suggested. Andy nodded, gave her a quick kiss, and walked for the door as he answered the phone.

~PO4~

(Later that day)

Prue ran down the stairs all dressed up for her night with Andy. He wasn't home yet so she returned to the Conservatory where her sisters were playing one of their old board games.

"Oh, wow, Prue. I guess Andy was able to get off early after all." Piper remarked, her eyes scanning over Prue's chosen formal attire for the night. Prue rolled her eyes at the tease and picked up the phone.

Phoebe tilted her head to the side. "Whatcha doing?" She asked curiously.

"Not work. I'm canceling everything I was going to do today." Prue answered, appearing very proud of herself. "We have a lot of changes to make if we want to avoid ending up where we came from today." She added.

"I guess you didn't care much for the work in your future." Paige teased.

Piper smiled a little. "The future wasn't all bad. You were Mrs. Fortune 500 with two girls and I had my own beautiful little girl and Missy Paige was married to Glen and had a job she really enjoyed." She pointed out casually.

"What?" Phoebe demanded, hands on hips.

"Details later." Piper laughed with a smirk to her younger sister.

"You know, we can still make the good things happen, Piper. We just have to make the right choices." Prue commented.

Paige couldn't resist laughing a little. "Well, Prue, you said Brianna was about nine which means you and Andy better start making the right choices soon." She joked. Prue glared at Paige playfully and flicked a finger so that a magazine flew from the side table and hit Paige in the head.

"Hey now, play nicely, you two." Piper ordered lightly. "And while you…" She glanced pointedly at Prue. "… are on your date with Andy, I'm going to check out that building to hopefully build my club. I'm meeting the Loan guy tonight so wish me luck." Piper gave a thumbs up to her sisters who all returned the gesture. "You two can come if you want." Piper offered to Phoebe and Paige.

Phoebe was still staring in shock at Prue but Paige nodded eagerly. "Maybe we can set you up with the loan guy." Paige suggested, elbowing Phoebe in the side.

"And who knows, maybe Leo and I will end up together." Piper added.

Phoebe's dumbfounded look shifted to Piper. "Wait, you and Leo…?" She started but was interrupted by the door bell ringing. Her sisters smiled innocently at her and she sighed at the teasing before stalking off to answer the door. 

"Coming." Phoebe called to the door as she walked into the Foyer. She pulled the door open to find a 16 year old girl with long blonde hair on their doorstep, obviously upset. "Uh, hi…" Phoebe started.

"Can I use your phone, please?" She pleaded on the verge of tears.

Phoebe hesitated, remembering Prue was on the phone with her work. Or was about to be. "Uh, well, actually, my sister…"

"Please, it's an emergency. Please." The girl interrupted.

"Okay, come on in, it's right around that corner." Phoebe offered, leading her there. "Prue, get off. It's an emergency." Phoebe ordered. Prue frowned but obeyed, letting the girl take the phone while Piper and Paige tilted their heads to the side, prompting an explanation. "She needs to use the phone." Phoebe replied with a shrug.

They all looked up as a man's voice carried into the house. "Jenny? Jenny, come on, talk to me." He tried to get her attention. He let himself inside the Manor and saw the group of women gathered around his niece and the phone.

"Whoa…" Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all enthused, their jaws dropping at the man's strikingly good looks.

The girl, Jenny, ignored him. "International Operator, please… Saudi Arabia."

Prue's jaw dropped. "Saudi Arabia?" She exclaimed, earning an elbow in the side from Paige.

The man sighed, looking apologetically at the sisters. "I'm sorry. We're moving in next door or at least we're trying to. Our phone's not hooked up yet." He explained.

"New neighbors?" Paige repeated thoughtfully.

He gave a slight nod. "Name's Dan. Dan Gordon." He introduced himself.

"I don't care if the circuits are busy. I have to talk to my mom." Jenny argued into the phone.

"…And that's my niece Jenny, who's obviously not talking to me." Dan added with a frown. He stepped forward, tapping Jenny lightly on the shoulder to get her attention. "Jenny, sweetie, come on." Dan started. Jenny suddenly slammed the phone down on the receiver and stormed out of the Manor without another word.

Andy, who was coming inside to pick Prue up, had to step to the side as she stomped by. He looked questioningly inside to see the sisters standing around with another man in the house.

Dan backed away from the sisters toward the door now that Jenny had left. "Sorry. It's nice to meet you." He offered then with a nod to Andy, he followed Jenny outside.

Andy returned his gaze to Prue. "New neighbors." Prue answered his silent question.

"One really hot new neighbor." Phoebe added, her eyes still following him.

Piper noticed Andy narrow his eyes a little and she quickly changed the subject. "Oh, Andy, Prue's ready. Go ahead and take her." She stated, pushing Prue toward Andy. "And don't worry about us. We're going to check out the building that could potentially be my new club."

"Okay, see you three later." Andy allowed the subject change, especially when he looked Prue over. He took her hand and led her outside, only pausing to let her grab her jacket and purse. "You look beautiful." He complimented, slipping an arm around her waist.

"Thanks." Prue gratified. She didn't notice Andy subtly flick a finger so that one of her on-the-go make-up kits fell from her purse and clattered to the ground next to the car. She started to lean down to pick it up.

Andy beat her to it. "I got it." He assured, dropping down to his knees to grab it. With a faint smile he handed it back up to her.

"Thanks again." Prue laughed a little. She slipped it into her purse and then looked at Andy with a funny look on her face. "You need help getting up?" Prue teased as Andy was still down on his knee. Her smile faded to a look of surprise as Andy pulled the little black box out of his pocket. He flipped it open, revealing a ring. Prue recognized it immediately as the one she had worn on the necklace in the future. The silver band with the rather large diamond in the middle and several smaller ones on either side.

Andy couldn't contain the grin at her look of surprise. "I don't know what you saw in the future but I was hoping this was part of it…" He paused a little dramatically while Prue seemed to recover enough to look expectant. "… Prue Halliwell, will you marry me?" Andy asked.

"Yes." Prue barely managed to get that one word out.

Andy's grin widened if at all possible and he slowly slid the ring onto her finger. He stood up and pulled her tight against him. "I love you."

"I love you too." Prue whispered, pulling him down until their lips met. When they finally parted, Prue wiped at her eyes only to groan a little as her mascara came off. "Damn it, Andy. You ruined my make-up." She accused.

"That's what this is for." Andy countered jokingly, pointing at the make-up kit that had fallen from Prue's purse and ironically initiated the proposal. "I would've waited until after dinner but I wanted your sisters to see." He explained with a look over her shoulder.

Prue spun around to see Piper, Phoebe, and Paige hanging out the door and watching her and Andy's every move. Prue glared playfully at them and they burst into cheers and wide grins. Andy just laughed and opened the car door for his new fiancée.


	3. The Painted World Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys, I hope you don't feel like you had to wait forever for this chapter. I'll admit, I don't like this chapter quite as much as the last one but it's still good. I'm leaving for vacation so I had to cut some of the Leo stuff short because I ran out of time. So I'm sorry that the ending is a little bleh but I'll try and make up for it in the next chapter and give you some of the Piper/Leo stuff that was supposed to be in this chapter in the next.

The Painted World

 

Bucklands Auction House

Prue's gaze shifted intently over the large painting standing against a display. "Painting of a gothic castle, artist unknown, circa 1920's. Oil on canvas, 20 by 28." She paused in her brief description of the painting as she had a question for the owner. Prue clicked her tape recorder off and turned to the woman that was seated across the room in one of the office chairs. "Miss Franklin, where did you say you got this?" Prue questioned curiously.

"I inherited it a few months ago but it's been in my family for generations." Miss Franklin answered.

Prue turned back to the painting, more than a little impressed. "The composition is so unusual. The artist used pure color straight from the tube and then varnished each layer over and…"

"I'm sorry for interrupting but do I really need to be here?" Miss Franklin asked, effectively ending Prue's ramble over the painting.

"No, of course not." Prue appeared partially apologetic and partially embarrassed. "It's just that most people prefer to be at an appraisal, especially when they plan on selling the piece." She continued as she returned to her seat behind her desk.

Ms. Franklin nodded slightly. "It's just that I'm kind of in a hurry." She admitted.

Prue flipped open the folder with her client's information and pulled out one of the sheets. "Say no more." She assured her, passing Ms. Franklin the paper. "Just sign at the bottom and you're free to go." She allowed.

Ms. Franklin immediately snatched up a pen. "Thank you." She appreciated, hastily scribbling her name at the bottom of the sheet. "So how long do you think it'll take to sell it?" Ms. Franklin wondered.

"Well, I'll need to see some ownership records before I can do anything." Prue reminded her, glancing up briefly to study her client.

"I'll send you everything I have." Ms. Franklin promised without hesitation. She smiled a little nervously at Prue. "So is that all then?" She pressed impatiently while slamming the cap back onto the pen.

Prue shook her head slightly. "Uh, no, since you definitely want to sell the piece, I'll need to confirm its authenticity, it's physical condition…" Prue trailed off as she picked up another piece of paper and sat it in front of Ms. Franklin. "… So if you'll just sign at the bottom that will let us go ahead and x-ray the piece." She explained.

Ms. Franklin had already finished signing by the time Prue had finished her explanation. "Done." She announced, dropping the pen. "Anything else?"

Prue hesitated, acutely aware of her client's hurry. She took a moment to take the papers from Ms. Franklin. "Um, well, yes, Ms. Franklin." She admitted, leaning forward just slightly while her eyes flickered back to the painting. "I would really like the time to research this. That way I can get you the best price." Prue elaborated.

"Look, I appreciate your professionalism. I really do…" Ms. Franklin started, her impatience clear. "… but I'm not interested in getting the best price. I just want you to sell that painting as soon as you can, alright?" Ms. Franklin insisted as she grabbed her purse and swung it over her shoulder. "Good night, Miss Halliwell." She offered.

Prue shook her hand professionally. "Good night." She repeated, watching curiously as Ms. Franklin left. After the door closed, Prue's gaze shifted back to the painting before she grabbed all the necessary paperwork.

~PO4~

Web San Francisco Office

"Piper, it was an accident. It's not like I borrowed Prue's car so I could drive it into a pole." Phoebe groaned into the phone. She stepped inside an elevator while Paige followed behind, the youngest sister's attention on a worksheet for one of her classes. Phoebe pressed the correct floor on the elevator.

~PO4~

Piper paused in her stocking up her newly bought place that would, with luck, become her club. "How bad's the damage?" She asked hesitantly.

~PO4~

Phoebe frowned, not sure if she really wanted to think about that at the moment. "Not bad but maybe expensive which is why I need a favor." Her voice shifted into a pleading tone at the end that caused Paige to raise her eyes from her work curiously.

"If you're calling to borrow money, I don't have any." Piper admitted.

"No, it's not about money. It's just … I don't want you to tell Prue. She's been so supportive and I don't want to lose her trust again." Phoebe pleaded. "Paigey agreed so please…" She added as an afterthought. Phoebe could hear Piper sigh on the other end of the phone. 

"You mean you haven't told her?" Piper demanded.

"Well, not yet, but Paige and I have a plan." Phoebe insisted hopefully.

"Phoebe, you have to tell her. It's her car and you don't have the money to fix it."

Paige pulled Phoebe out of the elevator as they arrived on the correct floor. Phoebe was too preoccupied with convincing Piper to even notice. "But I will have the money to fix it. I'm at this company called Web San Francisco. It's an interactive network on the internet and I faxed them my resume this morning and they want to meet with me tonight." Phoebe explained enthusiastically.

"I've gotta go but, Phoebe, I don't want to be in the middle of this. Just tell her, okay?" Piper argued.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "If I don't get the job, I'll tell her." She promised before hanging up. Phoebe stopped just outside the door of the office and spun on her little sister. "How do I look?" Phoebe asked, striking a professional pose.

Paige smirked. "You look great. Go knock them dead." She encouraged.

Phoebe smiled and pushed open the door to find the room full of people dressed in expensive suits. She hesitated a moment until Paige lightly pushed her in the direction of the desk. Phoebe's smile had faded but she walked determinedly to the desk. "Hello, I'm Phoebe Halliwell, I have an appointment." Phoebe explained to the secretary that looked bored out of her mind. The secretary silently passed Phoebe a clipboard. "Thanks." Phoebe appreciated and then leaned slightly forward. "All these people, they're here for the interview too, aren't they?"

"Well, you won't have any trouble with this if you figured that out. It's an aptitude test. You can finish it at home." The secretary drawled.

Phoebe nodded slightly in understanding before turning around and spotting Paige in the middle of the crowd of suited people. She stood out in her casual clothing and Phoebe was acutely aware that she, herself, stood out just as badly, even if she was more dressed up than Paige. Phoebe hastily took the empty seat next to Paige.

"Cozy in here, isn't it?" Paige whispered, looking pointedly around at the crowded room. Phoebe just grunted in agreement. "What's that?" Paige changed the subject since Phoebe obviously wasn't up to talking about her competition. She could tell her sister wasn't nearly as confident as she was trying to appear.  
"An aptitude test." Phoebe answered softly. She shrugged at Paige's questioning glance. Phoebe turned her attention to her aptitude test while Paige returned to completing her worksheet. That was until they heard a nearby conversation.

The man on the other side of Phoebe was talking to another woman. "So you won a fellowship from the National Science Foundation?" He asked, sounding impressed.

"When I was at Harvard, yeah." She replied. Phoebe's eyes widened and Paige couldn't resist staring open-mouthed at the woman upon hearing 'Harvard'. "How'd you know?" The woman wondered.

"I saw it on your resume. I was cum laude, also. Except I was a Ford Foundation scholar." The man bragged on.

The woman narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "So then you must have went to Stanford." She realized.

"Stanford?" The secretary spoke up curiously. "I went to Stanford." She admitted.

Phoebe and Paige exchanged an almost horrified glance at being surrounded by such ridiculously book smart people. A man behind them seemed to be watching them and leaned back to talk to them. "Intimidating, isn't it?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "The Good Will Huntings or this aptitude test?" Phoebe joked.

"Who cares about linear algebra or differential? And that test is a snap. I mean, in this day and age, who can't write in the HTML and numeric languages, right?" He laughed.

Paige forced a laugh along with Phoebe while she carefully hid her worksheet from sight as she figured what she was working on was much simpler than whatever the man was talking about. "Uh, Pheebs, I really need to get home, remember?" She lied, hoping to get them out of this situation.

"Okay, they said I could take this home." Phoebe jumped on the excuse. She pulled the papers from the clipboard and passed the clipboard to the man sitting beside her. "That's for you." She told him before leading her and Paige out.

Paige glanced behind her as they left. "Well, I feel infinitely inferior." Paige admitted, running a hand through her hair.

Phoebe nodded hastily. "Me too, Paige. Me too."

~PO4~

Bucklands Auction House

Prue sat filling out some paperwork when she heard a knock on her door. She looked up and smiled as she found Andy in the doorway. "Hey." She greeted enthusiastically.

Andy returned her smile and stepped behind her desk. He absently played with her long dark hair as he looked over her shoulder at the work she was doing. "I thought you'd be done by now. It's late." He pointed out mildly.

"I'm just finishing." She promised. "A client brought in this painting. It's impressive really and I just had to finish the paperwork so I can get started on everything tomorrow." Prue explained, waving her hand at the painting.

Andy just nodded. He couldn't really say he understood what was so interesting about any painting. "Piper wants us to help her with stocking her club. That is if you feel up to it. Tomorrow might be better." He narrowed his eyes a little, studying Prue who he could tell was on the verge of falling asleep. No matter how interesting the painting was to her, she couldn't fight off the sleep much longer.

As if on cue, Prue yawned. "Tomorrow is probably better. That's when we're working on your thing anyways. There's no reason we can't do both at the same time." She reasoned, thinking of Andy's plan to find Leo. Prue saw a flash of light from the direction of the painting and her head snapped around to see what it was. A window of the building in the painting was glowing brightly. She was so entranced, she didn't even realize Andy was saying something back to her. Prue dropped the pen in her hand. "What?" She mumbled, hastily standing up, much to Andy's surprise. She grabbed a magnifying glass that was on her desk and ran to the painting.

"Prue? What are you doing? Prue?" Andy tried to regain her attention to no avail.

Prue jumped back from the painting when she saw the man on the other side of the little window… inside the painting. "Oh!" She exclaimed as a flash of light soared past the window and the man ran off.

Andy appeared to be getting frustrated at being ignored. "Prue, what are you looking at?" He asked again.

"There is a man in the painting!" Prue announced, spinning around to face him and pointing frantically at the painting. Andy's expression changed from one of impatience to one of worry at his fiancée's ridiculous exclamation.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Prue, Piper, and Paige were each crowded around the island in the kitchen the next morning. Prue was fixing her lunch for the day, Paige was eating a bowl of cereal before she had to go to class, and Piper was reading over the inspection sheets for her club.

"At first I just thought it was a reflection off of something in the room but when I moved closer, I saw a man, inside the painting, in the castle. Right but the moment I saw him, he backed away from the window. And then there was this strange glow that went past the window again. It was just so…" Prue trailed off of her ramble as she noticed Piper was no longer paying her any attention but was sorting through the papers in front of her. Prue was at least pleased to notice that Paige was paying attention. The youngest sister was staring at Prue with a spoonful of cereal halfway to her mouth. "Piper?" Prue called impatiently.

"What?" Piper snapped.

Prue waved her hands dramatically between the three of them. "We were talking." She reminded her.

Piper nodded without looking up at Prue. "Yes, I know. About a man in a painting."

"Is she still going on about that?" Andy asked as he joined the three sisters in the kitchen.

Paige smiled slightly. "Yep. All morning. Hasn't stopped." She admitted. Prue glared at Paige for discreetly making fun of her. "What? You know it sounds ridiculous." Paige pointed out mildly.

Before Prue could argue more, Piper held up one of her papers. "Listen to this one. 'hallway near club entrance too narrow.'" She exclaimed, slamming the paper down.

"Piper, sweetheart, we've discussed these issues. We'll make them work." Paige promised.

Piper just threw her hands up dramatically. "But I keep finding more. The plumbing, the electrical, the heating. It… none of it's up to code." She groaned and dropped her head into her hands. After a moment she peeked up at Andy with wide brown eyes. "Do you know how to fix any of it?" Piper asked hopefully.

Prue snorted at the thought, earning a glare from Andy. "I'll ask around the precinct. See if any of them know anyone that can help." He offered.

Piper nodded to him in acknowledgement. "I can't believe this!" Piper continued when she found another paper at the bottom of the stack with more violations.

"Stop." Prue ordered and Piper immediately cut off. "You're obsessing."

"Well, it runs in the family." Piper shot back.

Prue appeared offended by the comment. "I do not obsess." She denied. This time Andy snorted causing Paige to laugh and Piper just shot Prue a what-were-you-just-doing-fiveminutes-previous look. Prue hesitated as they were kinda right… not that she would admit that. "I just think intensely." She finally argued. "Anyway, I can't really help it. We've seen so many bizzare things, why not a man in a painting?" Prue insisted.

"Next you're going to be telling us that monkeys are using our powers." Paige joked. Prue sighed dramatically.

Piper just bitterly threw her papers down on the table. "Well, at least he's safe from building inspectors. I can't imagine that castle's up to code."

Andy smiled sympathetically at Piper before he checked the clock on the wall. "Hey, Prue, I gotta go. I'll meet you for dinner after I get off? And we can work on my missing persons case?" He inquired to make sure their plans were still the same.

"Okay. Bye." Prue waved and Andy gave her a quick kiss goodbye before he hurried out the door.

"Why're you helping him with a missing persons case?" Paige questioned curiously.

Prue shrugged slightly. "He thinks it might lead to something supernatural." She lied quickly. Andy had wanted her to keep Leo being missing a secret for now. Piper, for one, would freak if she knew.

They let the subject drop as Phoebe came in with the Book of Shadows. "I'm sorry but I couldn't find anything in the Book of Shadows about people who may be trapped inside of paintings. I looked everywhere." She apologized, taking a seat on a nearby stool.

Piper smiled at her way too innocently. "You were asleep by the time I got home. How did your interview go?" She wondered with a pointed glance at Prue.

Prue looked up at their curious behavior, forcing Phoebe to amend her look of anger into one of cheer. "It went fine. Uh, actually, it's still going. I have to finish this take-home aptitude test, which I actually think I will start right now. Paige, do you remember where I put it?" Phoebe asked as she hastily tried to leave the kitchen.

"In the Solarium." Paige answered.

"Uh, Phoebe?" Prue called, effectively stopping Phoebe in her tracks.

"What?" Phoebe prompted without looking over her shoulder at her sister. She glanced pleadingly at Paige for her to help her.

Prue tilted her head to the side. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Paige interrupted before Prue could ask specifically for the car keys. "You know, Prue, there's this guy at school who won't leave me alone. Do you think you could come with me to give him the Phoebe glare? I'll orb us." She offered her typical excuse that usually changed Prue's attention to her.

Prue's eyes flickered from one sister to the next, clearly seeing through their attempt to skate around something. "Okay, what's going on? I was just going to ask for my car keys." Prue pointed out with eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Its okay, Paige." Phoebe assured her with a sigh. Phoebe slowly turned around to face Prue. "Your keys would be with your car… which is at the body shop having an estimate." She explained.

Prue shifted positions so that she was leaning against the island. "An estimate?" Prue repeated. Piper carefully avoided her gaze to stare at her papers again while Paige began stuffing her cereal in her mouth in her haste to finish and get out of the room.

"Yeah, I, uh, bumped…" Phoebe trailed off to take a deep breath. "…Actually, I backed your car into a pole last night." She laughed nervously.

"A pole? You hit a pole?" Prue asked in disbelief. A smile pulled at the edge of her lips at the thought but Phoebe apparently didn't notice.

"Yeah, you don't even have to say it. I know what you're thinking. How could I be so irresponsible? How could I be so stupid?" Phoebe ranted.

Prue raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Okay, irresponsible, yes. Stupid? No way. Where is that coming from?" She wondered, appearing surprised.

"It's coming from the fact that I'm the black sheep. The one who always makes mistakes. The one who always causes problems. I mean, if anybody were to back your car into a pole and not tell you right away, it'd be me, right?" Phoebe continued, her voice rising. Prue's gaze shifted to Paige as if she was waiting for an explanation from her for her part in everything.

"You're handling it better than I expected." Paige admitted with a half-smile.

Piper quickly gathered up all her work. "I think I'll be going…" She mumbled softly.

"See, even the peacemaker cuts out on this one." Phoebe exclaimed, waving her hand dramatically at Piper.

"Yes, you're right. You're on your own." Piper decided. She nodded slightly in her sisters' direction.

Prue smirked a little. "Well, leave me out of it too. I don't want to argue with you, I just want to find a ride. Paige, can you orb me? I'll have Andy pick me up." Paige nodded that it was okay.

"Well, whatever the damages are, I'll pay for it." Phoebe promised. "And if you need to call a cab, I'll pay for that too." She added as an afterthought. Phoebe grabbed up the Book of Shadows and hastily left the kitchen.

Prue continued to look slightly confused. "What just happened here?" She wondered aloud.

Piper just shrugged. "I don't know anything about anything. I just need to find someone that does construction…"

"Doesn't, uh, Dan, the new neighbor work in construction?" Paige brought up helpfully.

Piper tilted her head to the side. "Does he?" She inquired. "I'll have to ask. Thanks, Paigey." Piper appreciated and started for the door.

"Piper!" Prue interrupted. "Forget about the club. What about the man in the painting?" She demanded.

"Well, unless he's real and screaming for help, forget about him. We shouldn't go looking for trouble. We have enough around here." Piper advised. "I'm going next door." She announced, finally managing to get out of the kitchen.

Prue looked to Paige for her opinion. "I think you should listen to Piper until you have more to go on." Paige replied to her silent question. She smiled and held her hand out for her eldest sister to take. "Ready?" Prue sighed and grabbed onto Paige's hand.

~PO4~

Piper leaned down to pick up Dan's newspaper as she made her way up his driveway, up the steps, and onto his porch. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and started to ring the doorbell when the door opened. She hastily dropped her hand as Dan paused in his way out to get his paper.

"Dan…" She greeted with a nervous laugh.

"Good morning." Dan returned, a little surprised.

Piper smiled hesitantly. "I'm sorry to bother you…"

"No, you're not bothering me." Dan interrupted while taking a step over the threshold in front of her. "Unless you refuse to hand over my paper." He added as a joke.

Piper hastily passed the paper to him despite knowing it was a joke. "Oh, all yours." She allowed.

Dan chuckled as he took it from her. "Thanks." He appreciated and then pushed his door open wider. "Uh, do you wanna come in?" Dan offered.

"No, no really, I just stopped by to ask a quick favor." She admitted. "My club received a visit from a DBI last night…" Piper started.

"And you've got code violations." Dan guessed, nodding in understanding.

Piper nodded enthusiastically. "I have the war and peace of code violations." She joked. She passed the folder full of them to Dan.

Dan took it and scanned over the first few pages. "And you were thinking what? Neighbor Dan, he's in construction, maybe he could help, huh?"

"Of course, I'd pay you something." Piper added hastily before he got the wrong impression of her.

Dan was pretending to think about it when Jenny came running to the front door. "Uncle Dan, I'm late." She yelled as she grabbed her book bag and swung it over her shoulder.

"Oh, hey, Piper." She smiled warmly at the Halliwell sister.

"Hi, Jenny." Piper replied.

Jenny ran across the porch, calling over her shoulder. "See you later, Uncle Dan." She paused midways down the driveway and turned back to face them. "And don't forget your promise." With that, she spun around and took off for school.

Dan suddenly appeared uncomfortable and made a split second decision. "Alright, I'll tell you what I can do. I'll check out the code violations, see how serious they really are, if you help me with the promise I made Jenny." He proposed.

"Deal." Piper answered immediately, unable to believe her luck. She hesitated when she realized she didn't even know what the promise was. "Wait, what's the promise?" Piper asked.

"She needs help with a paper. It's for a bio class. You know, something to do with the human reproductive system." Dan explained.

"Oh, you mean sex." Piper realized.

Dan nodded and smiled, seemingly embarrassed. "It's just way too awkward for me to talk to my niece about." He admitted.

"Yeah." Piper laughed a little. "Sure, not to worry, I have plenty of experience." She assured him before realizing exactly how it had sounded.

Dan looked at her, seemingly in a new light. "Really? With sex?"

Piper's eyes widened slightly. "No, I mean talking about it!" She clarified. Dan laughed as Piper became ever more flustered. "Yeah…" She breathed, carefully avoiding eye contact.

~PO4~

Bucklands Auction House

Prue kept her eyes on the notes in front of her while she attempted to string the words that she needed to say together. Ms. Franklin waited nervously in silence for many minutes before she finally spoke up.

"So was there a problem with any of the ownership records that I sent over?" Ms. Franklin asked.

Prue was forced to look up from the notes. "No, everything's in order." She admitted and then paused again.

Ms. Franklin tilted her head in confusion. "Then I'm not sure why you wanted to meet with me." She prompted for more of an explanation.

"Ms. Franklin, I know that you don't really want to be here, so I'll just be perfectly honest. There's something strange about that painting." Prue explained with a pointed glance to where the painting was still on the display.

Ms. Franklin's face fell into one of fear. "Have you seen him?" She demanded in a low voice.

Prue raised her eyebrows, not expecting that kind of response. "Him?" Prue repeated, feigning ignorance.

"That's how it all starts, you know." Ms. Franklin continued cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Prue inquired, leaning forward slightly in curiousity.

Ms. Franklin hesitated another moment. "At first, you see him…" She whispered. She slowly lifted her gaze to meet Prue's. "… The man inside the painting. At least, you think you see him. But he just… He disappears so fast. And you start to think about it, but it doesn't really make sense. I mean, how could a man be inside a painting?" Ms. Franklin exclaimed. She sounded on the verge of tears. "Then you see him again. This time longer. And now you're sure…"

"So you think that the painting is haunted by a ghost?" Prue interrupted her hysterical tirade.

"Oh, no, no. I think he's definitely alive. I think he's trapped inside." Ms. Franklin clarified.

Prue shifted slightly in her chair. "Do you know who he is?" She asked.

Ms. Franklin shook her head. "No, I have no idea. Nobody does." She breathed. Ms. Franklin suddenly looked at Prue with a desperate gleam in her eyes. "Look, all I know is if I don't get rid of that painting, I'm gonna end up just like everybody else in my family who's ever owned it. I'm gonna be completely insane." She insisted.

Prue slowly reached out to take her client's hand. "Ms. Franklin…" She started in a soothing tone.

"No, you've only seen the beginning, Ms. Halliwell. Just trust me when I tell you, it's only gonna get worse." Ms. Franklin yelled. She jumped to her feet, grabbed her stuff together, and stormed out of the room without a backward glance. Prue was left in her now silent office to ponder the possibilities of the painting.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Phoebe sat on her bed, attempting to write a spell that would help her get the job. She kept glancing at the Book of Shadows to make sure she was doing it correctly. "Spirits send the words from all…" She whispered, writing it down on the notepad in front of her. She stopped when she heard the knock on her door.

"It's me. Can I come in?" Piper's voice drifted through the wooden door.

"Uh, Piper, I really just want to be alone right now." Phoebe replied.

"I won't stay long, promise." Piper returned.

Phoebe sighed softly. "Alright, just give me a sec." She decided. Phoebe hastily closed her spell inside the Book of Shadows and slipped the book under her comforter so Piper wouldn't see it. "Okay, you can come in now." She allowed.  
Piper didn't waste any time coming inside. "I just wanted to tell you that the body shop called." She explained.

"Yeah, I know. I heard the message. 1200 bucks." Phoebe nodded, wrinkling her nose at the thought of paying that much money.

Piper took a seat on the edge of Phoebe's bed. "Did you tell Prue?" Piper pressed.

"I didn't have to. She already knew. She called the body shop herself." Phoebe admitted. "That's why I've got to get this job, Piper. It's the only way I can pay for the damages. It's the only way I can make things right."

"All the more reason you should have just told her." Piper pointed out gently.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, her anger rising. "Okay, well, maybe a smarter person would've figured that out. Then again, a smart person wouldn't have backed a car into a pole. A smart person would have realized it was a 1200 dollar pole. That's because smart people don't do stupid things, only stupid people do." Phoebe ranted.

"Phoebe, I didn't mean to upset you." Piper soothed.

"I know." Phoebe sighed. "Maybe we should just talk later." She suggested.

Piper nodded. "Okay." She slowly stood to her feet and made for the door. She paused and glanced back at Phoebe. "You're sure you're gonna be okay?" Piper asked.

Phoebe pinched the bridge of her nose to relieve some of the stress. "Yeah, why?"

"Phoebe, I know you think getting this job is the answer but please just don't do anything…" Piper started.

"What? Stupid?" Phoebe interrupted sharply.

Piper narrowed her eyes slightly. "No. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do." She corrected.

"Don't worry. I won't." Phoebe assured her. She smiled as Piper left the room, the ambiguity in her words having gone unnoticed by the elder Halliwell sister. "You would never cast a smart spell." Phoebe whispered under her breath. She pulled the Book of Shadows back out and flipped it open to her newly written spell. "For twenty four hours from seven to seven, I will understand all meaning of the words from here to heaven…" She quickly finished writing it. Phoebe trailed off to fold a piece of paper and press it against her temple.

"Spirits, send the words from all across the land,  
Allow me to absorb them through the touch of either hand,  
For twenty-four hours from seven to seven,  
I will understand all meaning of the words from here to heaven." She chanted.

"Oh and P.S. there will be no personal gain." Phoebe added hopefully. She dropped the paper to the bed and grabbed a dictionary from her bedside table that would be the best way to test if her spell had worked or not. She held her hands out over it and the pages flipped from the beginning to the very end. "Abaca- a strong fiber obtained from a banana leaf. Zygote- a cell formed by the union of two gametes." Phoebe quoted. Her eyes widened slightly when she realized it had worked. "Cool." She allowed with a nod of satisfaction.

~PO4~

Bucklands Auction House

Prue was waiting at her desk when one of the young assistants, by the name of Joe, came back in with the painting. "Hey, Joe, that was fast." Prue remarked, offering him a halfsmile.

"No line at the x-ray machine." He explained cheerfully as he passed her the folder of the said x-rays.

"So did the x-ray confirm its authenticity?" Prue questioned curiously.

Joe nodded enthusiastically. "It did a lot more than that. Check out the x-ray. It's got definitive underwriting on the canvas." He returned.

Prue eagerly stood up from her seat and ran to the x-ray light. "It's got a pentimento?" Prue repeated in wonder.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. But you can see it on the x-ray. The text is in Latin. I've never seen anything like it before." Joe described, following her with just as much eagerness.

Prue took a moment to study the words. "Absolvo Amitto Amplus Brevis." She read slowly. "To free what is lost, say these words." Prue translated.

"Wow, you speak Latin?" Joe realized in surprise.

Prue looked up as if she just remembered he was there. "Yes." She admitted politely. "Goodnight, Joe." She told him, subtly hinting for him to leave behind her polite smile.

Joe nodded as he picked up on it. "Okay. Well, why don't I just return the painting to the vault, say tomorrow?" He suggested, backing away toward the door.

"Good idea." Prue agreed.

Joe just smiled. "Okay." He decided as he left her alone with the painting.

Prue watched him leave before she caught sight of the window on the painting light up from the corner of her eye. She spun around to look at it and grabbed the magnifying glass that was on her desk that she put up against the little window. 'Help' was clearly written and she caught sight of the man before he ran away again. "Help…" She breathed, glancing over at the Latin phrase. "Semper Mea… Mine forever." Prue translated the last line. "Absolvo Amitto Amplus Brevis Semper Mea." She read aloud. She suddenly felt herself being tugged toward the painting and she was unable to stop it as she was sucked inside. "Oh no…" Prue managed to get out before she disappeared.

~PO4~

Prue reappeared being thrown across the room inside the castle from the force that sucked her in. She rolled a couple feet before she stopped and was able to look around her. She pushed herself to her knees and threw her hair out of her face with her hand, her eyes wide as she took in the scenery. Lit candles and medieval furniture filled the otherwise empty dark chamber. Her eyes landed on the door that was just down the room from her. Prue ran to the nearby door as fast as she could and tugged, only for it to refuse to open for her. She spun to protect herself when she heard a noise behind her. She didn't see anything so slowly stepped out of the doorway for a better look. A fireball shot through the  
air straight at her, causing her to duck to the ground with a scream.

A man ran up to her from seemingly nowhere and pulled her sharply to her feet. "Quick. Follow me." He ordered.

Prue stared at him in disbelief and didn't move. "What?" She demanded.

"This way. Ladies first." He replied, pushing Prue out into the open but then veering her to an alcove as fireballs shot at them. He looked out around the corner, attempting to judge the best time to move to somewhere safer. "I see you read Latin too." He remarked casually.

Prue didn't take her eyes off the flashing fireballs. "Okay, what has happened? Where am I?" She asked between deep breaths.

"You're in the castle." He answered.

"Where's that?" Prue returned.

"Inside a painting." He explained shortly while gargoyles breathed flames of fire all around them.

Prue shook her head slowly and closed her eyes. "I'm trapped inside a painting?" Prue repeated. She couldn't believe she gotten herself stuck in another situation like this.

"Yes and if you don't get to that bookcase, you're dead." He stated matter-of-factly with a nod to the bookcase on the other side of the room.

"Who're you?" Prue questioned.

The man finally looked at her again. "My name's Malcolm and you were supposed to help me, not join me." Malcolm replied with a roll of his eyes. "Who are you anyway?"

"My name is Prue and I was helping you. You were supposed to come out." Prue insisted, waving her hand dramatically.

"Great now we're both trapped." Malcolm muttered. He noticed a break in the fire and pulled Prue out of the alcove with him. "Hurry." Malcolm ordered as they ran to the bookcase. They made it to the bookcase just as a fireball was sent at them. Prue turned just in time to see it. She yelped and threw her hand up in front of her. The fireball deviated back in the opposite direction by the telekinetic push. Malcolm stared at Prue in surprise. "What the hell? What are you? How'd you do that?" He demanded.

Prue spun on him impatiently. "Oh, never mind. We're gonna get killed. Will you hurry up?" Prue snapped. Malcolm rolled his eyes and yanked out one of the books on the bookcase. The bookcase opened up and they ran in just as another fireball was sent at them.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor/ Underworld

Andy paced around the main floor of the Manor, his eyes often flickering to watch the door in the hopes of seeing Prue finally get home. It had long since gotten dark outside but Piper and Phoebe were nowhere to be seen. Paige, he knew, was still at Berkeley and wouldn't get out of her last class for another thirty minutes. However, Prue, he had no idea what she was doing. She was supposed to have met him almost an hour and a half ago. She wasn't answering her cell and her work, someone named Joe, just said that Prue was finishing up an appraisal and asked if he could take a message. Thus, it seemed they weren't going out to dinner but he really needed to try and find Leo. If what he and Prue had  
found out thus far was true then Leo needed help as soon as possible and he really couldn't afford to wait around for Prue. He sighed, knowing Prue was going to be furious at him for going by himself, but nonetheless orbed into the underworld. The least he could do was scout around and try to find exactly where Leo was being kept. Andy had a good idea where as Leo was one of the only good beings in the underworld. Not to mention, Leo was trapped so he was a constant inhabitant while most good beings were gone as quickly as possible. Andy slowly turned his steps in the direction he was fairly certain Leo was in. He had to admit, scouting around the underworld was not nearly as interesting as it sounded. They were just endless tunnels of darkness and were not as inhabited as everyone seemed to think. At least not in this part. It was over twenty minutes before he came across what he was looking for. A strong aura of evil was between Andy and the small glimmer of goodness. As he came up on it, Andy crouched behind a rock formation at the edge of some massive demon gathering. A large demon with intricate tattoos covering the vast majority of his body opened what appeared to be a vault of some kind. From within he pulled on some chains and out came the transparent body of someone's soul. The transparent man had some kind of magical chains around his wrists and ankles that the demon used to pull him up onto a stage that overlooked the large crowd. Andy hastily pulled out his cell phone and held it up just enough to snap a quick picture that would help him identify the demon in the book. He dropped back down as the demon began to speak.

"We have a special treat for you later but before I lose you to chatter of impatience once you hear what it is, we have a witch…" The demon waved his hand over the man next to him. "… This good being was powerful enough to take out one from the Brotherhood of the Thorn before I was able to capture his soul. A wonderful soul for any demon to devour. Shall we start the bidding at say, six powers?" He called loudly to the crowd.

The crowd was off, calling out what they would offer. "10." "13." "18." "22." "24."

"24?" The demon repeated, pointing at the one who offered. "Is there anymore over 24?" There was no response and the demon clapped his hands in a sign that the deal was set.

"Sold. 24 powers for the witch's soul." The demon that won made his way through the crowd and was led into an adjoining room to give up the powers while the soul was dragged by the chains after them. The demon auctioneer remained on the stage. "Come back tomorrow with all your powers, for tomorrow night we have a whitelighter soul and body to be auctioned off by Alrindor." He announced enthusiastically.

The crowd immediately dropped into hushed and excited voices. Andy narrowed his eyes at the demon he presumed was Alrindor. At least the demon auctioneer was pointing to him rather dramatically for it not to be. Andy quickly took another picture of the cloudy-eyed Alrindor before he resigned himself to retreating back up to the Manor where he could spend some time with the Book of Shadows to find out what he was up against. There was no time to waste. Leo would be auctioned off tomorrow night.

~PO4~

Andy reappeared back in the attic, causing Paige to yelp and jump in surprise at his sudden appearance. She almost threw a handy athame at him before she realized who it was.

"Jeez, Andy. You nearly gave me a heart attack." Paige complained. "What are you doing up here anyway?" She asked, turning back to the table that she was working on a potion on.

"Sorry, Squirt." He apologized, walking towards her as she had the Book of Shadows. "I need to look in the book for a couple demons." Andy explained and then glanced over what she was working on. "What are you doing?" He returned the question.

"I'm trying to copy Prue's animal conjuring thing." Paige answered. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the stuff in front of her. "It's not working right." She groaned before remembering Andy needed the book. Paige closed the Book of Shadows and passed it to Andy. "Are you working on that case?" She wondered curiously.

Andy took the book from her and nodded absently. "Yeah. I was able to get a couple decent pictures of some demonic suspects. They might need to be taken out."

Paige looked around him. "Where's Prue? I thought she was helping you…" Paige stated, still looking around as if she expected Prue to just pop up.

Andy shrugged as he pulled out his phone. "She's still at work and I couldn't wait any longer. I'm running out of time." Or Leo is… He corrected in his mind.

"What do you mean, running out of time? Do you need some help because I'm still your Whitelighter. I can keep information confidential if that's what you need." Paige pointed out casually.

Andy opened his mouth to deny needing help but then stopped himself. "I'm not really working on a mortal missing person's case like Prue told you…" He started and Paige raised her eyebrows, prompting for an elaboration. "Leo's missing. That's why he hasn't been around. Prue and I have been trying to find him. I think I know where he's at now but I tracked him down to the scene of a soul auction that claims they're going to auction off the soul and body of a whitelighter tomorrow night." Andy summarized. Paige's eyes had gone wide but Andy continued before she could say anything. "I'm positive they're going to auction off Leo tomorrow." He added. His gaze shifted to Paige for her reaction.

"Well, I guess we need to get working on something then. What do you need?" Paige inquired eagerly.

"I need to know what kind of demons I'm up against so I can take them out if necessary. Then I still need to scout out where Leo is being kept so I can figure out how to get him out because they have to have him under some kind of magical protection." Andy listed. He passed her his phone that had a couple pictures. They were pretty awful but you could tell the basic features of the demons.

Paige nodded. "That sounds like a plan." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "So tonight we can research the demons. By tomorrow morning we should know enough to scout out the area where the auction was and hopefully find Leo. Then surely by tomorrow afternoon we can have Leo back here safe and sound." She decided with a nod to herself.

"Let's get started!" Paige exclaimed, flipping open the Book of Shadows.

~PO4~

The next morning

Piper hurried through the hallway, nearly running into Andy when he came out of Prue's room. "Morning, Andy. Is Prue in there? I need to talk to her." Piper responded, offering him a half-smile and already pushing the door open without waiting for Andy to answer.

"I was hoping you would know where she was." Andy stated, his worry beginning to show now that Prue hadn't come home all night.

Piper paused with the door halfway open. "What? Why?" She asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Andy threw the door open the rest of the way to reveal her unslept bed. The Book of Shadows was spread across the floor along with several notepads and pens that Andy had been working with all night. "I was here all night and she never came home. I haven't seen her since yesterday morning and the last time I talked to her was yesterday around noon." He admitted.

Piper's jaw dropped slightly but she didn't reply as she tried to telepathically find Prue. She got a lot of nothing for her efforts. She turned around and stalked to the bathroom where she could hear the water from the shower running. Piper knocked loudly on the door. "Paige? Is that you?" Piper called through the door.

"Yeah, why?" Paige's answering voice sounded over the water.

Piper glanced at Andy, who was watching her curiously. "Can you sense Prue?" She questioned.

There was a moment of silence as, presumably, Paige attempted to sense for her eldest sister. "No… Should I start worrying?"

"Finish your shower and then join us in the kitchen before you start worrying." Piper returned. She sighed and headed for Phoebe's room, grabbing Andy's hand as she passed.

"We'll ask Phoebe before jumping to conclusions." She stated but it was obvious she wasn't holding out much for help from Phoebe. "Phoebe?" Piper barged into her younger sister's room only to find it empty.

"She must be up already." Andy commented, looking nearly as surprised that Phoebe was up already as Piper.

Piper groaned and led the way down to the kitchen. "Hi, Phoebe, you're up early. What's up?" Piper inquired as soon as she made it into the kitchen. She appeared curious on why Phoebe was awake when normally she had to be dragged out at a decent time.

Phoebe didn't look up from the clipboard that she was filling out her aptitude test on. "Oh, the Dow Jones, housing prices, and space shuttle discovery." She answered casually.

Piper tilted her head to the side. "Huh?"

"Read the paper." Phoebe explained with a half-smile while pointing at the newspaper beside her seat at the table.

"Oh…" Piper mumbled.

"Have you seen Prue?" Andy interrupted impatiently, earning a glare from Piper that he ignored as he watched Phoebe for a reaction.

"Nope." Phoebe replied and then looked up as she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Dan just called, said he'd meet you at the club at noon." She offered to Piper.

Piper nodded faintly. "Okay." She agreed, her gaze shifting around the kitchen. "Um, did you hear her come in at all last night?" Piper finally asked. Phoebe shook her head and continued to work on her aptitude test. Piper exchanged a concerned glance with Andy. "This is really strange. Cat hasn't been fed, no coffee's been made…" She trailed off as she walked to the refrigerator and opened it up. "… and Prue definitely didn't pack a lunch." Piper announced.

"Maybe she's still asleep." Phoebe suggested.

"I think I would have noticed if she was still asleep, Phoebe." Andy argued, perhaps a little sharply.

Phoebe finally glanced up at Andy. "Maybe she didn't come home from the office last night." Piper trudged over to the phone and dialed Prue's work number.

"I've been trying to call her. I keep getting her voicemail." Andy shot down.

Piper sighed and slammed the phone back on its cradle. "Yep, voicemail." She admitted, suddenly getting a very bad feeling about everything. "What if Prue is right about that painting? What if something's happened?" Piper demanded.

Phoebe spoke up before Andy could reply. "First off, 63% of all adults believed to be missing show up within 24 hours. An auto accident is unlikely, 1.2%. Even less likely for workrelated accidents. Factor in her good health, a life expectancy of 78.5 years, add her defensive powers of telekinesis, and we're looking at the odds of…" Phoebe trailed off as she mentally calculated. "… less than 4.1%. No, actually, make that 3.3%. I forgot that the Book of Shadows had zip on evil artwork."

Piper stared at Phoebe with her mouth half-open while Andy had paused in the middle of getting himself a water from the fridge to stare at her as well. "What's wrong with you?" Piper interrogated, immediately finding something wrong with this scenario.

"Nothing." Phoebe insisted innocently.

Piper looked disbelieving. "No, you were like . You haven't been in the Book of Shadows, have you? She pressed suspiciously.

"No. Why would I do that?" Phoebe returned.

"I'm just going to orb over to her office and check it out." Andy decided, giving up on getting anything useful from the sisters.

"I'll go with you." Piper offered, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Phoebe frowned slightly. "What about Dan? You're supposed to meet him at the club." Phoebe reminded her.

"Damn it." Piper cursed under her breath.

Phoebe smirked at her reaction. "Do you like him? Is that the vibe that I'm getting right now?" She asked teasingly.

"No, don't be ridiculous." Piper snapped. Andy coughed pointedly to return the two sisters back to the problem with Prue and away from the 'who-likes-who' conversation. Piper nodded slightly in his direction to show she was listening. 

"Just do me a favor and go in my place. And then you can give me all the details later." She ordered to Phoebe, sitting down the keys to her club in front of the younger Halliwell.

"Like what he was wearing?" Phoebe joked as she got up to get ready for her meeting with Dan.

"No." Piper countered sharply. Phoebe just laughed as she left the kitchen.

Just before Andy and Piper managed to orb out, Paige came running in, her hair still dripping with water from her shower. "Okay, what's going on with Prue?" She demanded.

"Short version, no one's seen her since yesterday and she obviously didn't come home last night so we're going to Bucklands to check on her." Piper explained shortly.

Paige placed her hands on her hips. "Wait a second, Andy, you're supposed to be working on that case. Prue won't like that you're worrying about her and neglecting your job. You go work. I'll orb to Bucklands." She argued.

Andy was about to protest when Piper cut him off. "We'll fill you in as soon as we get back." She promised.

"Damn it." Andy muttered as they both turned against him. "Fine but you tell me as soon as you know anything." He returned seriously. The two sisters nodded enthusiastically and Paige orbed them out without a moment to spare.

~PO4~

Inside the Painting

Prue sat against a bench in the castle safe-room, her eyes on Malcolm who was on the other side of the room. She had to resist from rolling her eyes as Malcolm turned a nearby candlestick into a weapon to keep her from getting near him.

"You can't just stand there another twelve hours and not let me help you. You're hurt." Prue pointed out impatiently.

Malcolm waved the candlestick threateningly. "Stay where you are. I hate witches." Malcolm snapped while pressing a piece of cloth against the wound on his head.

Prue stared at him with a hint of amusement in her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm a good witch? Although, if you make me say that again I may just hurt you." She joked, smiling as he shifted uncomfortably beneath her gaze. "Look, I was trying to save you." Prue insisted, once again trying to talk some sense into him.

"Well, you did a great job." Malcolm countered sarcastically. He still didn't lower the candlestick.

"The last thing I expected was to get stuck here." Prue retorted.

Malcolm stared at her calculatingly. "So I guess your powers can't get us out then, huh?" He pressed hesitantly.

Prue shook her head slightly. "No, I can't just lift us from another world. So if we're gonna get out, we're gonna have to work together." She stated. She watched as Malcolm thought it over but didn't move to put the candlestick down. "Just let me help you. I won't turn you into a toad, I promise." Prue quipped. Malcolm rolled his eyes and finally put his weapon down. "Thank you." Prue appreciated, standing up from her bench and slowly approaching him. "May I?" She asked, turning his head around to check the wound. "It doesn't look too bad. At least the bleeding has…"

"Ouch!" Malcolm complained.

Prue jerked her hands away. "Why do you hate witches so much?" She wondered curiously.

Malcolm seemed to think about her question for a minute. "It's how I got trapped in here. The artist that painted this was a witch. She was my girlfriend." He explained reluctantly.

"You dated a witch?" Prue repeated in surprise.

"What? You've never dated a mortal?" He returned harshly.

"Hmm… I wonder…" Prue mumbled, reaching up and pressing his head wound harder than necessary.

Malcolm jumped back. "Ow!" He snapped.

"Oh, sorry, go on." Prue allowed, smirking all the while at him.

Malcolm glared at her before resigning himself to continue. "Fine. Nell and I, we broke up, and she wrote a curse in Latin."

Prue nodded thoughtfully. "To free what is lost." She guessed.

Malcolm nodded. "Right. And she painted the castle over it, made sure I got the painting. It was the only way she could trick me and trap me inside. It worked." He admitted sullenly.

"So how did you see the underwriting?" Prue asked.

He shrugged slightly. "Same way as you probably." Malcolm answered.

"An x-ray." Prue decided. "Wow, you must have really pissed Nell off." Prue remarked with a hint of amusement.

"Well, that would explain why I haven't aged since I got here and the fireballs." He allowed.

Prue tilted her head to the side curiously. "How long have you been running from them?" She inquired.

"What year is it?" Malcolm returned.

"1999." Prue replied.

Malcolm fell silent as he mentally calculated the number of years. "It's been seventy years." He realized.

Prue blinked rapidly in her surprise. "Wait a second. You've been stuck here trying to get help for seventy years?" She repeated in disbelief.

"It's not the typical life of an art historian, is it?" Malcolm quipped.

Prue rolled her eyes and fixed him with a look of confidence. "Well, I won't be here that long. I mean, I have three sisters and a fiancé and we all have powers. If anyone can find a way out, it's us." She assured him. She nodded slightly and returned to her seat to come up with a plan to contact her sisters.


	4. The Painted World Part 2

P4

"Dan, sorry to keep you waiting." Phoebe apologized as she walked down the entrance steps to join Dan who was already seated at one of the tables.

Dan smiled a little. "I didn't realize you were late." He admitted, eyeing her curiously, especially the hard hat that she was wearing.

Phoebe tilted her wrist so she could read her watch. "Oh, 11 minutes, 23.4 seconds, to be exact." She told him before turning her attention to the folder in front of Dan. "Are those the code violations?" Phoebe asked.

"That and the DBI's codebook of minimum safety requirements." Dan answered as he passed her the aforementioned book.

Phoebe nodded slightly to herself. "Okay, then we're all set. I think you'll find me pretty knowledgable about all areas of construction." She commented casually.

"What about Piper?" Dan questioned, looking around as if he expected her to be coming up behind Phoebe.

"Oh something came up. She can't be here. Sorry, buddy." Phoebe offered. She patted him soothingly on the shoulder before beginning her inspection.

Dan's smile became slightly forced. "Oh…" He sighed and then hastily followed after Phoebe.

~PO4~

Bucklands Auction House/ The Castle Inside the Painting

"Prue?" Piper called the second she and Paige appeared amidst a swirl of orbs in the eldest Halliwell's office. Both sisters scanned over the room to find it empty.

"No Prue." Paige pointed out helpfully.

Piper cast a glare at Paige before she walked to Prue's desk, searching for anything out of the ordinary. "Great observation, Paige. You should become a scientist." Piper snapped.

"Start looking for something." She ordered.

Paige just rolled her eyes and walked over to the x-ray light which she noticed was still on. "Hey, Pipe. This might be something." She called, narrowing her eyes as she tried to read what the x-ray said.

Piper didn't respond at first. "Prue's purse is still here… and her jacket." She stated, placing her hands on her hips.

"Piper, I'm serious. I think this might be important." Paige repeated impatiently.

Piper finally turned to see what Paige was looking at. "Absolvo amitto amplus brevis…" Piper read slowly. She jumped when Joe opened the office door.

"Oh, hey, Piper." Joe greeted. He smiled when Piper obviously was trying to place a name to him. "Joe Lyons, we met at a wine auction a few months ago." He prompted cheerfully.

"Oh, Joe, right." Piper remembered, offering him a slightly forced bright smile. She glanced at the confused Paige and pulled her youngest sister forward. "This is one of my other sisters, Paige. Paige, Joe. Joe, Paige." She introduced.

Paige stepped forward and politely shook hands with Joe. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Joe agreed and then looked around the office. "Uh, Prue around?" Joe asked curiously.

Paige and Piper exchanged a glance. "Yeah!" Paige replied, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. She nodded as she scanned the room as well. "Somewhere." Paige added.

Joe seemed fine with that answer. "I won't get in your way. I just need to pick up the painting." He explained.

Paige's eyes widened and she prodded Piper in the ribs while Piper glanced at the painting before fixing her gaze on Joe. "Oh, forgive me, Joe." Piper returned.

"For what?" Joe questioned.

"For this." Piper answered, flicking her wrists so that he froze on the spot.

~PO4~

Prue and Malcolm stood outside the bookcase, watching as fireball after fireball shot through the air. "That's your plan? Are you outta your mind?" Malcolm demanded in disbelief.

"My sisters are gonna realize I'm missing soon. I have to let them know where I am and warn them." Prue argued hastily.

"It's too dangerous. You'll die." Malcolm retorted, grabbing onto her so that she couldn't run out into the middle of the danger zone.

Prue shook his grip off of her. "I don't have any other choice. Alright, my sisters could make the same mistake I did and get sucked into this painting." Prue countered. "Okay, corner now!" She ordered when she saw a break in the fireballs.  
They made a desperate dash across the room to the alcove in the wall before taking a quick break. "And how will seeing your name…"

"And the name Nell." Prue interrupted.

"…Yes, written on a window, prevent that from happening?" Malcolm questioned shortly.

"Okay, because my sisters will think that it's a clue so they'll look up the name Nell in our Book of Shadows and hopefully they'll find a solution." Prue explained. "Are you ready? Go!" Prue yelled, making another break for the window. A fireball flew directly at them and they had to duck behind a table almost halfway there. "Okay, tell me how you write 'help' on the window without getting creamed by the fireballs." She pressed.

Malcolm turned on her in surprise. "You mean you don't know how you're gonna do it?" He inquired harshly.

Prue narrowed her eyes at him. "You're the expert." She complained.

"Are you crazy?" Malcolm repeated what he had said just minutes before at the start of this plan. "It took me years to get those messages written on the window. I've got thescars to prove it." Malcolm continued. He finally looked away when 

Prue didn't say anything immediately. "What about your powers?" Malcolm suggested.

Prue full-out glared at him in frustration. "Alright, fine, I'll deflect fireballs. You write the names." She decided and then jumped out from behind the table to do just that while backing up to the window.

"Be careful near the window." Malcolm called after her as he followed more slowly behind.

"Why? What's wrong with the window?" Prue asked, pulling to a stop and tensing as she expected something to happen if she moved.

~PO4~

Piper walked over the stand and yanked the painting off before thrusting it into Paige's arms. "Hold that. I'll close the door and then you can orb us out." She ordered, walking past Joe to get to Prue's office door.

~PO4~

As soon as the painting had moved, the entire castle shook so that Prue and Malcolm were thrown off their feet with a yelp. Prue managed to grab onto the aforementioned table while Malcolm wasn't so lucky. "Okay, what's happening?" Prue demanded, clinging to the table for dear life.

Malcolm grabbed onto the side and pulled himself up next to her. "The painting, it's being moved, and roughly." He explained.

~PO4~

"Ready?" Paige asked as she took Piper's hand while the painting dangled lazily in her other hand. Piper grabbed the x-rays, nodded to Paige, and they orbed out just as Joe unfroze to find an empty room in front of him.

~PO4~

"Get back to the chamber!" Malcolm yelled to Prue as the painting seemingly swirled around them.

"No way, I'm getting my name on that window." Prue snapped, spinning around back to the window despite her own dizziness.

Malcolm grabbed her around the waist and yanked her to the ground just as a fireball was shot around the room. "It's too dangerous. We gotta get out of here." Malcolm insisted.

~PO4~

Piper and Paige orbed into the kitchen of the Manor. "Go set it up in the conservatory or something. I'll go find Andy." Piper ordered, giving the x-rays to Paige.

Paige shook her head. "No, I'll go get Andy. He might be in the underworld or at the station investigating, remember?" Paige reminded Piper. Piper sighed and Paige pushed the painting and x-rays into her elder sister's hands. The sudden movement almost made Piper drop the painting.

~PO4~

Prue screamed at the particularly rough shake of the painting and she crawled under the small table with Malcolm attempting to squeeze in next to her. "I really wanted to get my name and Nell's on that window." Prue groaned.

"And you can as soon as the painting stops moving. Just stay low." Malcolm assured her. Malcolm was suddenly acutely aware of how close Prue was when she gasped loudly as another fireball flew through the air nearby them.

"What?" Prue asked between breaths as she noticed him staring at her.

Malcolm shook his head hastily, seemingly embarrassed. "Nothing. I was just… Never mind."

"No, what?" Prue prompted.

"Well, I always hoped someone would get my SOS. I just never thought it'd be a woman." He explained with a shrug.

Prue rolled her eyes, thinking about how terribly condescending that sounded. "What? A woman can't rescue a man?" She snapped.

"Well, I'm still waiting." Malcolm pointed out.

"Yeah, well, keep waiting, Pal." Prue returned sharply as she scrambled to her feet. "Bookcase." She ordered and they ran desperately back for the safe-room.

~PO4~

The Underworld

Andy snuck around the edges of the crowd that had gathered for the day's auction that was obviously leading up to Leo. He eyed the open cavern where assistants frequently walked in and brought back out the souls for the next auction or two. In theory, Leo would be in there somewhere. He was about to make the last stretch into that area when he saw Paige orb in on the other side of the crowd.

Paige appeared taken aback by the crowd at first, especially since she didn't see Andy right off the bat but she quickly located him on the edge of the crowd. Luckily, it seemed he was the only to notice. She saw him wave his hand for her to hurry along and she hastily closed the distance while demons around yelled out: "three powers," "five," "six," "six powers? I've got six powers?" "Eight powers!"

Andy leaned down so that he could whisper in Paige's ear. "Did you find Prue?" He asked.

"She wasn't at the office but we found her purse and jacket. We stole the painting so we can check it out." Paige admitted beneath her breath. Andy grunted in acknowledgement before nodding in the direction of the cavern he was heading to. Paige nodded that she understood and while the demons were busy bringing up another soul, the two slipped inside. "What are we looking for?" Paige inquired, her eyes scanning over the room.

"Leo." Andy answered simply as he led the way farther into the cavern. He noticed spheres lined the walls that almost looked as if they held smoke inside them. "Souls, I presume." Andy guessed, glancing at Paige for her opinion.

Paige nodded ever-so-slightly. "Must be, but they said they were auctioning off Leo's soul and body, right? That would mean he'd have to be around here somewhere…" Paige cut off when she ran into Andy after he stopped abruptly in front of her. She glanced around him and her jaw dropped. In front of them stood some sort of cylindrical tank filled with… water? With Leo inside? "Oh my god!" Paige exclaimed.

Andy slapped a hand over her mouth and pulled her into the shadows just as a couple demons came in. Andy and Paige watched them warily as they grabbed the soul spheres and crushed them on the ground. The soul began to rise but not quick enough when the demons clasped magical chains on them and dragged them out to the auction. Their attention shifted when they heard beating on the tank where Leo was.

His eyes were wide and staring straight at the two of them. Leo hit the tank with his fists, attempting to break it open.

"You were right. Must have an anti-orbing charm on it." Paige whispered after recovering from her shock.

"Look, I'm gonna stay and try to get him out. You go see if there's something in the book about these things and how to get around them in case I can't." Andy ordered without looking at her. Paige nodded absently and orbed out, too stunned to really argue. Andy's eyes landed on a metal candlestick that looked promising. He tossed the unlit candle to the side and prepared to strike the tank.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Phoebe sat in the solarium watching the TV while holding the phone to her ear. "Hello, this is Phoebe Halliwell, and I'd like to set up an appointment to return my aptitude test…" She explained. Her eyes followed Piper as the elder Halliwell set the painting up on top of a table so that it leaned against the wall. "… By five tomorrow?... Great. Bye." Phoebe hung up and then offered Piper a bright smile. "Oh, Piper, good news. I spoke to Dan. He will have your estimate ready by tomorrow."

Piper held up the x-ray folder for Phoebe to see. "We've got bigger problems than code violations." She announced seriously.

"Prue wasn't at Bucklands?" Phoebe guessed, her face creasing with worry.

Piper shook her head. "No, but it was clearly the last place she was before she disappeared." Piper replied. She paused before continuing. "I take it you haven't heard from her?" She asked, only a little hopeful.

"Not a word." Phoebe answered, sitting up from her place on the couch. "Okay, now I'm worried." She admitted with a sigh.

"Check out this x-ray Paige found in her office…" Piper started, pulling it out of the folder and holding it up for Phoebe to see. "We think it may have something to do with her disappearing and we don't have a lot of time either. It won't be long before everyone at Bucklands realizes that she is gone and the painting is gone." She reminded urgently.

Phoebe nodded in understanding. "Well, where is Paige?" She inquired, glancing around for her baby sister.

"She went to get Andy. They should be back any minute now…" Piper replied.

"Oh, the final match!" Phoebe exclaimed excitedly, her eyes fixed on the TV. She leaned toward the TV eagerly and turned the sound up.

The TV show host was already midways through the first question. "… primarily concerned with blood?" He finished.

"Hematology." Phoebe answered.

A second later the contestant answered. "Hematology."

"Yes." The TV show host agreed. "Oona Chaplin, the wife of Charlie Chaplin, was the daughter of what famous…?"

"Eugene O'Niel." Phoebe interrupted so that Piper missed the whole end of the question.

"O'Niel." The contestant followed. Piper stared back and forth between the TV and Phoebe.

"Yes. What country now occupies the peninsula once known as Asia Minor?" TV show host asked.

Phoebe smiled wide. "Turkey." She stated confidently.

The contestant hesitated before answering with "Turkey."

"Yes. Basketball player turned poli…" The TV show host started the next question but Piper snatched up the remote from Phoebe's hands and switched the TV off.

She spun on Phoebe with her hands on her hips and eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How is it that you know all the answers?" Piper demanded.

Phoebe stared at her innocently. "What? I could know about medicine, American playwrights, and that Asia Minor is now called Turkey." She countered, feigning ignorance.

"No, you couldn't." Piper retorted, shaking her head slightly. "You have cast a spell, haven't you?" She guessed.

Phoebe gave up on tricking Piper and sighed loudly. "I wanted to be able to get Prue's car fixed and this job was the only way that I could do it." Phoebe explained almost pleadingly.

"Phoebe, what kind of spell?" Piper pressed.

"All I had to do was ace an aptitude test which, by the way, I'm sure I have." Phoebe continued, smiling smugly at the end.

Piper narrowed her eyes. "Phoebe!" She snapped.

"Okay. It's a smart spell…" Phoebe started and then saw Piper's eyes widen. "… And before you freak out, it's only temporary. It'll be over by 7:00 tonight." She promised hastily.

Piper didn't appear impressed. "It doesn't matter when it ends. We're not allowed to cast personal gain spells. You know that." Piper lectured.

Phoebe nodded dramatically, bordering on desperation. "Yeah, I do know that, but it's not. I even put that in myself. 'No personal gain.'" She insisted with a hopeful half-smile at Piper.

"There will be consequences. There always are." Piper argued.

"I don't care. It's worth it." Phoebe returned, her patience running out. "Piper, you were not at that job interview surrounded by all those college graduates. You don't know how good it feels to be really smart. Smart people are respected, taken seriously and really smart women? Forget about it." Phoebe continued. She paused, fixing Piper with a dejected look. "Then again, you probably do know what I'm talking about. You have a four-year degree." Phoebe added harshly.

Piper rolled her eyes at Phoebe's insinuation. "So what?" Piper prompted but when Phoebe didn't immediately respond she continued. "Phoebe, I will never have the same kind of smarts you have, no matter what I do. But you, you can go back to college." She pointed out. Piper paused, waiting for some reaction but Phoebe didn't offer any. "Say you got this job, what would happen to it the moment your smart spell ended?" She asked pointedly.

Phoebe finally met Piper's eyes. "I thought I'd worry about that later." She answered truthfully and then stalked past Piper and toward the stairs.

Piper groaned but remembered Prue and picked up the x-rays. "Wait, what does this mean?" She called, halting Phoebe in her tracks while she held the x-ray up to the light to read it. "Absolovo amitto amplus brevis semper mea." Piper read. She jerked as she felt herself suddenly being pulled toward the painting that was sitting next to her. "Phoebe, help!" She yelled.

"Piper, no!" Phoebe screamed after spinning around to see what was going on.

Paige orbed in at that moment for the Book of Shadows. "Phoebe, I need the…" She trailed off when she saw Piper being sucked into the painting.

"Paige, stop her!" Phoebe ordered. She was already running to the painting but knew she wouldn't make it to help Piper. Paige was closer.

"Phoebe! Paige!" Piper pleaded just as Paige grabbed hold of Piper's hands and attempted to tug her away from the painting. There was a sharp pull as the painting fought and suddenly Piper and Paige disappeared.

Phoebe pulled to a stop in front of the seemingly normal painting. "Piper? Paige?" She asked in a soft voice.

~PO4~

The Castle Inside the Painting

Piper and Paige landed in a heap on the floor of the castle. Piper had the misfortune of being on the bottom while Paige was sprawled sideways across Piper's stomach.

"What did you do that for?" Piper snapped between wheezing breaths as the breath had been knocked out of her.

"I was trying to save you in case you didn't notice." Paige shot back.

Piper pushed Paige pointedly. "Well, get off." She ordered. Paige just groaned but complied to Piper's demand. As soon as she stood up the castle's fireballs began to shoot dangerously close to them. Paige screamed and orbed out so that one went flying through her. "What did you do?" Piper demanded, forcing herself up.

Paige reappeared in front of her. "Contrary to your beliefs, not everything is my fault." She argued with a glare. "Piper, look out!" She screamed, jerking Piper to the side as a fireball scorched by them. Another one quickly followed and they ran away from it, screaming madly and attempting to get to the alcove in the wall that looked marginally safe.

Prue was drawn out of the safe-room by the familiar screams with Malcolm right behind her. "Piper! Paige!" She yelled. She saw the fireball following them and she waved her hand, sending it in the opposite direction.

Piper and Paige glanced around the edge of the alcove in surprise. "Prue! I found you!" Paige exclaimed with an excited wave

Piper's reaction was quite different. "What the hell is happening? Where are we?" She demanded.

Prue waved to Paige and then fixed Piper with a nervous smile. "Alright, just hurry. Get to the bookcase fast." She ordered, pointing behind her. Piper and Paige exchanged a glance before they held hands and made a desperate run for Prue. 

"Watch out!" Piper screamed again and threw her free hand out so that the fireball froze before hitting her or Paige.

Malcolm pushed the bookcase open. He ran in first with Prue right behind him. Prue was now pulling Paige along while Piper brought up the rear and tripped over the side of the bookcase in her haste to get in. "Ow!" Piper complained, hopping on one foot painfully.

"Don't tell me they're the sister witches who were gonna save us." Malcolm stated, unimpressed thus far by their performance.

"Well, that's condescending…" Paige mumbled, glancing at Piper and Prue. Prue just ran a hand through her hair nervously and Piper pulled off her shoe that was now broken.

~PO4~

Prue, Piper, Paige and Malcolm were in various positions around the safe-room. Piper was sitting on a bench, toying with her broken shoe, Paige sat in the floor with her back against a wall, Prue was pacing around the room while Malcolm was seated about as far away from them as he could get.

"I don't wanna live forever. I don't want to spend the rest of my life trapped in a painting, hanging on some wall, wearing a broken shoe." Piper ranted, holding her shoe up for emphasis.

Paige rolled her eyes as Piper repeated what she had been saying since they had sat down. "Bright side? We won't have to demon fight so much or worry about jobs." She offered with a smile. She closed her eyes, fully expecting some smart retort from Piper.

Prue apparently interrupted Piper with a warning glare before that retort could be said. "Look, Piper, I don't think any of us want to remain here and there is a solution." She pointed out.

"You call that a solution? Braving endless fireballs to get a message to Phoebe?" Piper snapped.

"Okay, so it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the situation is pretty bad." Prue admitted in frustration.

"Paige, try orbing out." Piper ordered suddenly. Prue glanced over at Paige curiously at Piper's demand.

Paige, having a feeling that it wasn't going to work, reluctantly got to her feet and closed her eyes. Orbs swirled around her and floated toward the ceiling of the castle. There was bright flash of light and the orbs came hurtling back to the ground and deposited Paige sliding across the floor. "Didn't work." Paige mumbled, just laying there for now.

Malcolm couldn't resist a chuckle at the failure but he stopped when Prue fixed him with a glare. "It was a nice try." Prue allowed lightly. Paige just groaned while Piper looked down at her feet in thought.

"I got it!" Piper suddenly announced, jumping to her feet. Paige rolled over onto her stomach so that she could see Piper better, Prue's head snapped around to face Piper, Malcolm just looked angry at the silence being interrupted again. 

"Phoebe." She stated simply.

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Another witch sister?" Malcolm scoffed.

"Not any witch. A super witch. She's a genius." Piper insisted.

Prue just dropped her head into her hands. "Piper, I don't think you're really helping the situation." She mumbled.

Paige, however, appeared interested. As if Piper's thought had merit. "She cast a spell on herself." Paige explained to Prue.

Piper spun on Paige in surprise. "Wait, you know about it too?" She questioned suspiciously.

"Well, yeah. I sorta encouraged her a little…" Paige admitted, avoiding gazes with her elder sisters.

"Paige!" Prue berated.

Paige nodded slightly, having expected the outburst. "Look, you guys, she really wanted to fix your car and we got to that interview and she was up against people from Harvard and Stanford… I couldn't tell her she just had to tough it out. She was really trying to help." Paige defended.

"That doesn't matter right now." Piper interrupted before Prue could retort. "The point is she's a walking brain trust. An Einstein with cleavage. She cast a smart spell."

Malcolm looked over at them with interest. "Can she save us?" He asked.

Piper just ignored his question and kept her attention on the inwardly fighting Prue. "Forget the details, Prue. Just know that if anyone can get us out of here, its Phoebe. We need to get back to that room, get Nell's name on that window…"

"Piper, wait." Prue cautioned.

"No, no, no, we can't wait. It's only temporary. The spell ends at 7 tonight." Piper insisted.

Paige turned her wrist so that she could read her watch. "Which is in, oh, forty five minutes." She stated helpfully.

"Ooh…" Prue agreed, quickly helping Paige up to her feet and then following Piper and Malcolm out of the bookcase.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Phoebe ran down the stairs with the Book of Shadows in her hands and plopped down on the couch where she flipped the book open. "Come on. Come on. There's got to be something." Phoebe whispered under her breath. She held her hands out over the book and the pages began to flip by themselves. She didn't pause even when the doorbell rang.

"Who is it?" Phoebe called to the door.

"It's Jenny." Jenny's voice carried through.

"Uh, unless it's a huge 911, sweetie, you're gonna have to come back later." Phoebe yelled back. She sighed and dropped her hands as the doorbell rang again. Phoebe snapped the Book of Shadows shut and stashed it under the table before running to answer the door.

~PO4~

The Castle Inside the Painting

Malcolm waited by the staircase while Prue, Piper, and Paige walked cautiously toward the window.

"If we get out of here alive, you owe me a new pair of shoes." Piper whispered to Prue as if speaking too loud would send fireballs raining down on them.

"If we get out of here alive, I'll by you the purse to match." Prue promised.

Paige threw her hand out to the side as fireball careened toward them. "Fireball." She called and sent it flying in the other direction with a trail of blue and white lights.

"Nice one, Paige." Prue complimented, trying to appear nonchalant about almost being scorched.

Piper glared at where the fireball had gone. "Forget the shoes. The next time you get a supernatural SOS…"

"I'll take your advice and just ignore it." Prue finished with a nod. "Alright, we all know the plan? I deflect fireballs, Paige orbs herself and Piper to the window, Piper writes the names while Paige gets ready to orb out if I miss a fireball." She went over quickly and they all nodded. "Okay, go." Prue ordered. She slowly continued her way across the room and Piper and Paige disappeared in a swirl of orbs.

"Be careful near the window!" Malcolm cautioned from across the room.

Prue spun around to face him. "What's wrong with the window?" She asked, remembering he had mentioned it before.

Piper and Paige reappeared near the window but just as they materialized, blades shot out of the wall and surrounded them with a squeal from the two sisters. "Blades." Piper squeaked, glancing behind her to Prue.

Prue's jaw dropped. "Are you guys okay?" She demanded.

"For now, but I can't reach the window because if I lean forward I'm sliced and diced." Piper admitted.

"Use your power." Paige suggested.

Prue just nodded absently. "Okay." She pushed her hands in opposite directions so that her telekinesis pulled the blades back into the wall and away from Piper and Paige. "Hurry." Prue pleaded.

Piper immediately started to write on the window. "Wait, it's gotta be backwards so Phoebe can read it." Paige reminded.

"Come on…" Prue hurried, watching as Piper finished the last letter of Nell's name.

Paige orbed them out just as Piper finished, having been watching Prue's struggle with the blades. Prue let the blades go as soon as her sisters disappeared. They reappeared next to her and Piper froze the fireball that had been heading at Prue.

"Good thing she had a short name." Piper remarked in relief. Prue waved her hand and placed the frozen fireball behind the window and they took off for the bookcase. "Let's go. Let's go. Let's go." Piper repeated as they ran.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Phoebe stared down at the paper Jenny had handed her. "The human reproductive system?" Phoebe repeated in surprise. She fixed Jenny with a look of amusement. "And your uncle wanted Piper to help you out with this?" She questioned, laughing softly.

Jenny nodded slightly. "Yeah, but I was too embarrassed to tell him that I already know about sex so I figured we could just hang out and watch some television." She explained cheerily. Her eyes caught sight of the glowing window on the painting. "Hey, what's that?" Jenny asked curiously.

"Uh, Jenny, will you go in there and grab me a pen, please?" Phoebe invented, pointing in the direction of the foyer while keeping her attention on the painting. Jenny listened and walked into the foyer to search random drawers. Phoebe watched her go before grabbing hold of a magnifying glass from her purse and hurrying to the painting. "Nell?" She read on the window, appearing thoughtful.

Jenny came back in and held a pen out for Phoebe. "Is something wrong?" She wondered, watching Phoebe with a curious expression.

"Uh, I'm not sure." Phoebe admitted, running back to the couch and flipping Jenny's paper over onto the blank side. "Okay, the 23 chromosomes that make up the human genome system within the cell…" Phoebe started writing. She hesitated when she looked up and saw Jenny looking very confused. "… is too complicated." Phoebe decided, scratching it all out. She then hastily scribbled a picture onto it and passed it back to Jenny. "Okey dokey, you're all set."

"But…" Jenny started.

Phoebe didn't listen but spun her around and pushed her toward the door. "Bye, Jenny." She called and closed the door behind her young neighbor.

~PO4~

Jenny shrugged to herself and looked down at her picture where Phoebe had drawn a picture depicting the egg and the sperm with the words 'us' and 'them' written over their corresponding sex individuals. As she ran back to her house, she didn't notice Ms. Franklin parked in her car across the street and watching the Manor with too much interest.

~PO4~

Phoebe ran back to the solarium and pulled the Book of Shadows back out. The clock now read 6:30. She held her hands over it again and the pages began to flip. "Nell, Nell, find me Nell." She whispered to herself. The Book of Shadows stopped flipping and she scanned over the page. "Whoa, I am one super smart witch… What do we have here? Latin. 'In the late 1920's, a witch named Nell tricked a powerful warlock into a painting with a hidden spell that only his power of x-ray vision could see…'" Phoebe read. "Okay, I'm getting tired of talking to myself. How do I get my sisters out?" She mumbled with a sigh. "Oh, 'verva omnes liberant. Words free us all. These words will free anyone trapped inside the  
painting.' Okay, but how do I get the words inside without getting trapped inside the painting myself?" Phoebe asked rhetorically. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully when Kit jumped onto the table next to her. "No, I couldn't…"

~PO4~

The Castle Inside the Painting

"So maybe we should take shifts waiting for Phoebe outside the bookcase. I mean, we've been pretty safe there so far." Prue suggested, pointing in the direction of the dangerroom.

She inconspicuously watched Malcolm out of the corner of her eye which neither Piper nor Paige missed.

"I'll take first shift." Malcolm offered without even waiting for any discussion.

Prue smirked as Malcolm turned his back on them. "I had a feeling you would." She admitted.

Paige waited until Malcolm was out of the room before voicing her question. "What's going on in that head of yours Prue?" Paige asked from where she was once again leaning comfortably against the wall while sitting in the floor.

Piper spoke up first. "She's suspicious of him." She explained with a nod in the direction of where Malcolm had gone.

"Nice to know you're feeling it too but why?" Paige wondered curiously.

Prue glanced at the bookcase and lowered her voice, just in case. "I've been thinking about that witch who cursed Malcolm into the painting…" She admitted. Paige leaned forward so she could hear better while Piper listened with a thoughtful expression. "… I mean, it takes a lot of time and a high level of magic to create this world. Seems like an awfully big spell just to get revenge over a bad break-up." Prue pointed out.

"I agree." Piper announced with a nod to herself.

"And it was almost impossible for us, the Charmed Ones no less, to get that message on the window. Yet, Malcolm, an art historian with absolutely no powers, was able to escape fireballs and those blades to get his message on the window." Prue continued. "I mean, I don't know… there's just something weird about all this." She decided with a shrug.

Paige smiled slightly. "That's why you're the eldest sister. You can always tell when something is wrong." She encouraged, getting to her feet. "Perhaps we should confront him.

What's he going to be able to do? Run into the danger room?" Paige suggested. The sisters fell silent when they heard a swooshing sound on the other side of the bookcase followed by a 'meow.'

~PO4~

"Here, Kitty, kitty." Malcolm called, kneeling down and slowly advancing on Kit. Kit jumped onto a chair and hissed at Malcolm but he quickly grabbed hold of her. "Here, kitty, kitty." He cooed. "What do we have here?" Malcolm asked as he took in the words on a piece of paper on Kit's collar. He petted her while slipping the collar off from around her neck.

Prue, Piper, and Paige walked out from behind the bookcase. "It is Kit." Piper realized in surprise.

"What is she doing here?" Prue wondered. She was so busy staring at Kit that she didn't notice Malcolm.

"Oh, Prue…" Paige whispered, jabbing her elbow in Prue's side.

"Verva omnes…" Malcolm read, his voice deepening demonically.

Prue, Piper, and Paige hurried over to him. "Piper, freeze him." Prue ordered.

Piper started to but Malcolm blinked out before she could. He blinked back in on the other side of the room. "You're too late, but you were right. Your sister, Phoebe, is one smart witch." He agreed.  
"  
Collar." Paige called.

Orbs began to swirl around it but Malcolm blinked out again and reappeared in another place before the collar could disappear. "Blinking allows me to be one place one moment and another the next." Malcolm informed them. He kept blinking behind the sisters to keep Paige from trying to grab the collar and Piper from freezing him.

A fireball shot at them. "Piper, look out." Prue yelled, trying to keep one eye on Malcolm. Piper froze the fireball as Malcolm blinked out again.

"Liberant!" Malcolm finished. He was pulled from the painting almost immediately, leaving Prue, Piper, Paige, and Kit stuck inside.

Prue mentally berated herself. "I thought he was an innocent. I thought he needed help." She groaned.

"I'm not talking to you for forever." Piper snapped at her. Paige just offered Prue a sympathetic smile as they made their dejected way back to the safe-room.

Prue was the last to file inside. "Damn it. I really wanted to get married."

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

A wind picked up in between Phoebe and the painting that deposited Malcolm in the Manor on his knees. "Thanks for freeing me, witch. Seventy years is a long time." Malcolm appreciated, smirking at the surprised look on Phoebe's face.

Phoebe slowly backed away as Malcolm stepped toward her. "Seventy years? You're a warlock, aren't you?" She realized.

"Your sisters are right. You are smart witch." Malcolm complimented.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "Where are they?" She demanded.

"With the cat." Malcolm replied, holding up the collar for Phoebe to see. "The one with no collar. That was interesting. That was smart. Too smart for your own good."

"So that woman that brought Prue the painting… she's a warlock too?" Phoebe guessed.

"Jane's my lover. She's been trying to get me out for years. She needed to find the Charmed Ones. You. I took her seventy years to do that." Malcolm admitted.

Phoebe tilted her head to the side. "We haven't been around that long." She informed him before karate kicking him in the stomach so that he slammed into the wall. As he recovered, Phoebe back flipped away from him and then ran forward, spin-kicking him in the face. Malcolm slid across the floor. "I read a Jeet Kune Do manual earlier today. I think that makes me a black belt…" Malcolm blinked behind her and grabbed her from behind. Phoebe spun punching him in the gut, then the face, and following with a kick that made him fall back onto the stairs. "Actually, make that a seventh degree black belt. I'm a master." Phoebe corrected.

Malcolm rolled to his feet and smirked at her. "Not for long you're not. We'll see how powerful you are, how smart you are when your spell ends at seven." He decided, repocketing Kit's collar.

Phoebe faltered slightly. "How do you know about that?" She questioned.

"Tick tock, Phoebe, tick tock." He warned her and then blinked out.

~PO4~

Malcolm reappeared outside the Manor where Ms. Franklin immediately saw him and raced to him. "Malcolm!" Jane cried in glee as she tossed her arms around Malcolm's neck.

"Jane." Malcolm managed to get out before he crushed her lips with his own.

Jane finally pulled away. "I thought I'd never see you again… Come on, let's get out of here." She suggested, pulling lightly on Malcolm's arm.

Malcolm resisted her pull and turned her back around to face him. "Not yet, not yet. I have a little present for you." He explained.

Jane's smile widened. "You do? Where is it?" She asked cheerfully.

"It's inside the house. Something you've always wanted." Malcolm told her.

"And what would that be?" Jane pressed eagerly.

"The power of premonition." Malcolm whispered in her ear.

Jane giggled softly. "And what would you get?"

"Revenge. And three more powers." Malcolm answered and then pulled her into another kiss.

~PO4~

The Castle Inside the Painting

Prue and Piper had joined Paige on the floor and leaning against the wall. "Even if Phoebe is alive, she may not be for long." Prue pointed out softly.

"Maybe she can figure out a way to save herself before he finds her." Piper offered in an attempt at optimism.

"Yeah, well, she better do it quick. It's almost seven." Prue sighed. There was a brief moment of silence before she smiled slightly. "Although, if anybody can do it, Phoebe can." She admitted.

Paige rolled her eyes at their conversation. "Could you guys be any more pessimistic? Come on, at least put forth some effort here." She lectured.

Piper couldn't contain the smile that graced her features. "You're right, that really was a brilliant plan of hers. And so Phoebe. I never would have thought of it."

"Me either." Prue allowed with a soft laugh.

Paige sighed dramatically. "That's not good enough." She berated.

"When we get out of this, I'm gonna buy her a new pair of shoes." Piper attempted with a look at Paige.

"I'll buy her the purse to match." Prue decided with a nod to herself.

Paige smirked to herself. "Much better. We're gonna get out of this." She promised them.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Andy orbed into the Manor, appearing extremely peeved about what was taking so long for Paige to find something to help him. The candlestick had been a bust and it had been almost an hour since Paige left. Leo couldn't have more than an hour left before they auctioned him off. He glanced around the unusually empty house. "Where is everybody?"

Andy called loudly. He would have thought that Piper and Phoebe (and maybe some Paige) would have gotten Prue out of the painting by now.

Phoebe came running in with a panicked expression. "Oh my god, Andy! Piper and Paige got sucked into the painting and I tried to find out how to get them out so I wrote the message on Kit's collar and sent her in and then a warlock came out and took the collar so Prue, Piper, and Paige are still in there and he's gonna come back after seven because my spell will have worn off!" Phoebe rambled while running in a circle.

 

"What?" Andy asked, trying to figure out what she had said. Piper and Paige were in the painting too? Something about a warlock and Kit… and did she say spell?

Phoebe just groaned in response and slapped him on the shoulder. "Try and keep up here, Andy!" She snapped.

Andy continued to look confused but he nodded anyways. "Okay, sorry." He apologized. However, it didn't change the fact that he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Gotta get the spell!" Phoebe decided to herself and she stalked past Andy to the Book of Shadows. "Three words in Latin. Question is, which three?" She went on as she held her hand over the book and the pages began to flip.

Andy didn't even bother asking how she was doing that. "Do you need me to do something?" Andy eventually inquired.

"The words, Andy! I need the words!" Phoebe answered just as the clock chimed seven. Her power stopped immediately and the book lay still in front of her. "Oh no, come on, come on… they're on the tip of my tongue. Verva omnes… something. Verva omnes liber… liberace." Phoebe exclaimed but then frowned and shook her head. "No, it can't be liberace." She continued flipping through the book until she found the page. For a moment her face lit up with relief until she realized it was in Latin. "Oh no, it's in Latin. The spell is over and I can't read Latin anymore." Phoebe sighed dejectedly.

"Wait, Prue is trapped inside the painting with a warlock?" Andy demanded, his voice hard.

Phoebe glanced up at him to find him looking over her shoulder and… reading the page. "You can read Latin?" She looked at him hopefully.

"Well, I'm a little rusty but I can get the gist…" He admitted, a little taken aback by the look Phoebe was sending him.

"See if you can find the words to free them." Phoebe ordered enthusiastically.

Malcolm suddenly blinked into the foyer. "I told you, I'd be back." He announced his presence, causing Phoebe to jump to her feet while Andy looked up and narrowed his eyes.

"No, Andy, read, find the words." Phoebe snapped pleadingly. Andy reluctantly scanned over the pages but he kept one eye on Phoebe and the intruder.

Malcolm turned around and opened the front door so that Jane walked through. "Hello, Phoebe." Jane greeted with a smirk. She blew on her finger and a line of fire shot out the end. "Say goodbye to your family." She remarked, using the flame to ignite the painting.

"No!" Phoebe screamed. Malcolm blinked behind her and grabbed Phoebe so she couldn't do anything to stop them.

Andy looked up from the book and punched Malcolm squarely in the jaw. "Let go of her." He snarled, throwing Malcolm to the ground.

Phoebe could just read the words on the x-ray in the light of the fire. She grabbed Malcolm's arm and Jane's shoulder. "Absolvo amitto amplus brevis…"

"The curse." Malcolm warned, trying to pull out of Phoebe's grip.

"… semper mea." Phoebe finished. She felt the tug and was suddenly drifting toward the painting. "The words." Phoebe reminded Andy, even though there was little time left anyways.

"Liberant." Andy stated, having just read it before Malcolm attacked Phoebe. He tried to grab hold of Phoebe but she was already too far into the painting.

"Liberant…" Phoebe repeated and then there was no sound but of the flames engulfing the painting. Andy ran for something to douse it with.

~PO4~

The Castle Inside the Painting

Prue, Paige, and Piper ran out of the safe-room, coughing as smoke filled the entire room. "The house is on fire?" Piper exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's technically a castle." Prue pointed out, waving her hand in an attempt to move the smoke away.

"This is not the time, Prue." Piper countered with a glare in her sister's direction.

Paige copied Prue's hand motions. "More likely the painting's on fire." She argued lightly.

"Must be Malcolm's doing. He must be at the Manor." Prue agreed. They jumped when Phoebe came flying in and she rolled along the ground to stop in front of them.

"Phoebe, you're alive!" Piper blurted out in relief.

"Yeah, let's just keep it that way." Phoebe suggested as Paige pulled her to her feet. Malcolm and Jane were thrown in just a second later.

Paige pointed an accusatory finger at Malcolm. "Hey, warlock, you two-faced son of a…"

"And Jane!" Prue interrupted Paige. Paige cast her a look of frustration.

"She's a warlock." Phoebe explained to Prue helpfully.

Malcolm and Jane climbed to their feet. "Stupid witch, now you and your sisters are gonna end up burning to death." He started to search his pockets for the collar. 

Kit. Grab Kit. Phoebe thought. Paige glanced around and found Kit on a nearby chair. She picked the cat up and then pushed her into Prue's arms. Phoebe smirked as Malcolm couldn't find the collar. "Verva omnes liberant." Phoebe chanted the words. She held up the collar for Malcolm and Jane to see. All four sisters were suddenly being jerked out of the painting. Piper managed to freeze the two warlocks just before they disappeared.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige stood to the side as Andy sprayed the painting with the fire extinguisher until every last flame was put out.

"You know, I didn't want them to die. I just wanted them trapped in that house forever." Prue admitted with a sigh.

"It's a castle, Prue." Paige teased as Prue had said that same line earlier to Piper.

Prue glared at Paige. "You know what I mean." She grumbled.

"Well, on the bright side, you won't have to worry about any complaints from the owner of the painting." Phoebe offered.

"And you'll never have to worry about anyone else getting a supernatural mayday from it." Piper added thoughtfully.

Andy finally decided the painting was no longer on fire and dropped the fire extinguisher on the ground before walking to Prue and wrapping his arms around her waist. "And all of you got out safely before the thing went up in flames."

"Thanks to Phoebe." Prue agreed.

Phoebe blushed slightly and shrugged. "Well, Andy told me the last word of the spell just before I got sucked in so he helped a little."

"You did?" Prue asked, shifting her gaze up at him.

Andy shrugged. "I took the time in college to learn Latin. I might as well put it to use every now and then." He joked.

Paige smirked and her eyes flickered to Phoebe. "I want to know how Ms. Phoebe ended up with Kit's collar." She changed the subject.

"Yeah, how did you get it?" Piper wondered, crossing her arms across her chest and watching Phoebe curiously.

Phoebe twirled Kit's collar in her hand. "Oh, I used a very complex, very different kind of smarts." She explained with a soft laugh.

"She picked his pocket." Prue called, almost proudly.

"I picked his pocket." Phoebe admitted. "Sorry, Andy. Please don't arrest me." She added as an afterthought.

Andy grunted softly. "I guess I can let it slide this time. Just like Piper and Paige stealing the painting." He allowed.

Paige exchanged a glance and nod with Phoebe. "Hey, it was the smartest thing we've ever done." She laughed.

Andy's smile was the first to fall as he glanced at the clock. "I don't mean to interrupt but Leo's going to need some help." He stated. Prue and Paige's eyes widened in realization.

They had totally forgotten while Piper and Phoebe just looked confused.

"Leo? What about Leo?" Piper demanded, quickly picking up that there seemed to be something wrong.

"No time to explain. We'll all go and help him." Prue decided since there was too little time to come up with a real plan. They'd just have to wing it and it was safest to do that all together. Prue grabbed Piper's hand and Andy orbed them to the underworld while Paige held hands with Phoebe and they followed.

~PO4~

The Underworld

The two groups orbed in inside the cavern where the souls were kept. A lot of excited noise could be heard outside as the crowd got wilder and wilder with the expectation of the auction of a whitelighter.

Prue and Phoebe were staring wide-eyed at the tank that held Leo captive but it was nothing compared to how Piper was staring. Leo's eyes were fixed almost desperately on Piper and he hit his fists against the side of the tank again.

"It can't be broken from the outside and he can't orb out." Andy explained, earning back the sisters' attention.

"Hey, what are you doing?" A voice sounded from behind the sisters and Andy. His voice was deep and harsh and as he stepped closer to the intruders they saw his skin had a dark-reddish glow. His eyes were pupil-less and cloudy though he had little trouble maneuvering around the room.

Andy leaned down to the sisters. "Alrindor. Low level demon but his gift of memory retrieval and his reputation as soul-dealer have elevated his status." He whispered.

Prue exchanged a glance with her sisters before she grabbed hold of Paige's hand and the two orbed behind Alrindor. Prue threw her hand out and sent Alrindor rocketing toward Piper, who flicked her wrists and froze him now that he was in her range. "Alright, crisis one averted. Now onto Leo's crisis." Prue remarked, walking back to their little group.

Phoebe was staring at Andy with a funny look on her face. "Andy, are you like a walking Book of Shadows because that would be wickedly convenient." Phoebe commented.

"Forget that, Phoebe, Leo has bigger issues." Piper snapped, waving frantically in the direction of Leo.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and started walking around Alrindor. "Maybe we can interrogate him…" She suggested. She stopped abruptly as she neared him, feeling the beginnings of a premonition.

Alrindor approached the empty tank, dragging Leo behind him with the magical chains around Leo's wrists. Alrindor was saying something to Leo that she couldn't quite hear but then saw him allow half the wall to fall on top of the tank. It stood sturdy and Alrindor waved his hand and the wall repaired itself, showing no damage had been done to Leo's prison. He waved his hand at Leo and Leo disappeared, only to reappear inside the tank. He laughed as Leo attempted to orb out but found he couldn't. Alrindor waved his hand again and Leo reappeared outside the tank, clearly showing that Alrindor held control over Leo.

Phoebe pulled out of the premonition to find everyone staring at her expectantly. "I saw this guy putting Leo in that thing and then letting him back out…" She answered their silent question while pointing to the frozen demon. Her eyes suddenly lit with realization. "Paige, call for Leo."

Paige stared at her in confusion. "Why?" She inquired curiously.

"Because he could do it so maybe you can too." Phoebe explained.

"Or maybe it's just him." Piper pointed out with a nod in Alrindor's direction.

Andy shrugged. "Try it anyways, if it doesn't work than we'll just have to find a way to make him let Leo out." He decided.

"Leo!" Paige called after the sisters each nodded in silent agreement. She frowned when nothing happened.

Prue stepped forward and held hands with Paige. "Let's all do it. Maybe it'll work with all of us." She suggested. Piper grabbed Prue's other hand while Phoebe grabbed onto Piper's.

"LEO!" They called together. For a moment they didn't think it had worked but finally orbs surrounded Leo and he was deposited in front of them.

Leo collapsed immediately to his knees and coughed heavily. Piper started for him but the sound of footsteps behind them made everyone freeze. Andy was the first to move.

"Paige, orb them back to the Manor. I've got Leo." Andy promised. Andy grabbed Leo's arm and they orbed out.

"Quickly, quickly." Prue pressed with a nervous glance behind her to the door.

"Okay." Paige grumbled, orbing out with all three of her sisters.

~PO4~

P4

Piper stared down at the piece of paper in her hands in shock. "A new heating and cooling system, retrofitting, imported pre-stressed I-beams, architectural flooring." She read and then glanced up at Dan. "Your estimate requires a quarter of a million dollars and a crew of seventy five. I gotta tell you, Dan, I'm not feeling real guilty for not helping Jenny with that paper." Piper admitted, sitting the paper down on the bar.

"Well, actually, those were Phoebe's suggestions." Dan explained with a faint smile.

"Phoebe." Piper repeated. She nodded slightly to herself and laughed a little as if she should have known. "Can you fix it cheap and fix it quick?" She asked hopefully.

Dan nodded. "In a couple of days, sure." He assured her.

"Great, you're hired." Piper announced and then passed him the paper with Phoebe's unwanted suggestions. "You can take that with you."

Dan chuckled and walked over to where Prue, Phoebe, Paige, and Andy were sitting on the couch on the other end of the club. Prue and Paige had just given Phoebe a present and

Prue moved to sit on Andy's lap. "Hey, Prue, Paige, Andy." Dan greeted with a nod to each of them.

"Hi." Prue returned with a smile. Andy just waved and then leaned down to whisper something in Prue's ear that had her giggling.

"Hey, Dan." Paige replied, louder so that it covered up Prue's giggling and Andy's whispers.

Dan turned his attention to Phoebe. "Phoebe."

"Hey." Phoebe answered.

"You got a minute?" Dan asked.

Phoebe appeared mildly surprised. "Uh, yeah." She admitted. Dan slid into the seat across from her while Prue, Andy, and Paige fell silent to listen nosily. Phoebe suddenly had an idea on what this was about and leaned forward eagerly. "Is it about Piper?" She inquired.

"No, it's actually about Jenny's paper." Dan corrected.

Phoebe's smile fell suddenly and she cast a glare at Paige who started giggling uncontrollably and buried her face in Prue's shoulder to stifle her giggles. "You know, I wasn't really myself that day. Is there a problem?" She wondered hesitantly.

Dan pulled out the paper Phoebe had drawn the picture on and passed it to her. Prue leaned forward so she could see it and her eyes widened. She felt Andy shake with silent laughs behind her. "No, it's not due until Friday but I really appreciate your help. I think." He shrugged.

"Uh, yeah, okay." Phoebe snatched the picture from his hands and nodded hastily in understanding.

"I'd really appreciate if Jenny could do her own work, in her own handwriting, using her own smarts, if you know what I mean." Dan explained.

Phoebe continued to nod enthusiastically. "I- I certainly do." She agreed. Dan laughed and stood up to leave. "Alright…" Phoebe mumbled, still a little flustered as he left. She dropped her head into her hands, feeling the eyes of Prue, Paige, and Andy on her. "You don't wanna know. You know this whole smart spell thing, it really just made me realize that there's a lot of cool information out there." She admitted after recovering herself.

"I agree." Prue stated.

"Guess, what, you guys, I talked Phoebe into taking a tour of the college with me tomorrow!" Paige announced, throwing her arm over Phoebe's shoulders.

Phoebe smiled slightly. "Who knows, maybe I will go back to college, take some night classes. I'm a smart girl, I'll figure it out."

"Good for you, Pheebs." Andy encouraged, elbowing her lightly on the arm.

"Just don't lose that common sense. We may need it to save the day again." Prue added.

Piper walked over and joined her family in the seat Dan had occupied moments before. "What are we talking about?" She asked.

Phoebe pulled out her job application and ripped it in half. "Right now, the job that I will not be getting." She answered.

"Smart move, Pheebs. Now open your present." Piper ordered, sharing a knowing smile with Prue and Paige.

"Okay." Phoebe agreed, ripping out the tissue paper and pulling out a purse. "Oh!" She slipped it onto her arm and posed dramatically before looking back in and pulling out a pair of heeled shoes to go with it. "Wait, you guys got me shoes and a purse?" Phoebe questioned.

"Very smart-looking, wouldn't you say, Piper?" Prue prompted with a glance at Paige and Piper.

"Pure genius, Prue." Piper laughed.

Paige grabbed the purse from Phoebe. "Aren't the colors just brilliant?" Phoebe rolled her eyes at the none-too-subtle jibes at her spell.

"Do I want to know?" Andy asked with a nod at the shoes and purse.

Prue shook her head. "Nope, but…" She made a grab for Phoebe's 'egg and sperm' picture. "… can you explain this to me?" Prue inquired to Phoebe.

Phoebe smirked and pointed to the egg. "Well, that's Piper…"

"Oh!" Prue realized with a teasing look to Piper who blushed fiercely.

"…and that's Dan." Phoebe continued, pointing to the sperm.

Andy rolled his eyes at the girl talk and snatched the paper from Phoebe. "Alright, enough messing with Piper." He scolded lightly.

"Thank you, Andy." Piper appreciated.

Paige grinned. "Would it make you feel better if we used you and Prue as the example?" She teased.

He shook his head and folded the picture into his pocket. Andy pushed Prue from his lap and hastily left the giggling sisters behind before he had to endure too much of their girl talk. Their laughter increased in volume at his sudden departure.

Piper was the first to stop laughing when she caught sight of Leo orb in at the other end of her club. "Wish me luck." She interrupted her sisters as she stood to her feet and approached him. They all gave her a thumbs up and then ducked their heads to continue their giggled conversation.


	5. The Devil's Music Part 1

The Devil's Music

 

P4

Prue, Andy, and Phoebe sat around one of the tables at Piper's newly opened club while Piper made sure everything was going smoothly with the customers. Phoebe's gaze shifted over the few people in the club and Prue and Andy spoke loudly to each other as if to cover how quiet the business was.

"This place couldn't be more dead if I was embalmed." Phoebe commented, effectively interrupting whatever nonsense conversation Prue and Andy were having.

Prue followed Phoebe's gaze and she frowned. "Yeah…" She admitted. She glanced at Andy with a questioning look to which he shrugged. Prue sighed and continued. "… I think we're gonna have to take that offer."

Phoebe echoed Prue's sigh. "What's this guy's name again?" Phoebe asked.

"Chris Barker." Andy answered, saying the name as if it was a curse.

Phoebe appeared a little surprised by Andy's tone but didn't bring it up. "And he's not a loan shark or anything, is he?" She questioned to Prue.

"No, he's a collector, an investor. And it's a no-interest loan that we can pay back any time." Prue clarified.

"And you approve?" Phoebe turned to Andy.

"Depends on whether he smartens up and quits trying to steal my fiancée or not." Andy replied.

Prue rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "The point is that he's not going to miss the money." She added.

"Mmm… must be nice." Phoebe muttered, dropping her head into her hand. "When do we tell Piper?" She inquired hesitantly.

"Not until the club is in the black." Prue decided with a nod to herself.

Andy exchanged a look with Phoebe. "You sure you're going to be able to hide it from her?" Andy pressed, his thoughts obviously trailing to Prue's telepathy.

Prue nodded confidently but didn't answer as Piper was walking toward them and now in hearing range. "So, you guys, you do like the name of the club, right? P4. A little nod to the Power of Four, to us, partners." Piper asked hopefully.

Phoebe forced a smile. "Yeah, it's very clever." She complimented.

Piper's eyes flickered around the table. "Speaking of us, where's Paige?"

"Uh, Glen picked her up for a date." Prue answered cryptically.

"Um, Piper, it's a little, uh, quiet in here. Don't you think?" Phoebe changed the subject hastily and attempted to keep from hurting Piper's feelings. She glanced at Prue and saw her nod ever-so-slightly in approval for her word choice.

"It'll pick up once word of mouth kicks in." Piper insisted.

Phoebe worked to keep her smile up. "And when will that be exactly?" She prompted for more.

"Well, you can't predict these things exactly. It's not like starting a restaurant. Besides, the bank's not gonna call the loan. It's not like we're gonna lose the house." Piper returned a little sharply. Phoebe's jaw dropped slightly at Piper's last sentence.

Andy hastily got Piper's attention before she could notice her sister's lack of confidence. "I'm sure in two weeks this place will be packed." He offered casually.

Piper smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Andy." She appreciated and then waved her hand at her soon to be brother-in-law. "See, he's got the right attitude." Piper added with a pointed look at Phoebe before she went back to work.

"Who said anything about losing the house? We're not gonna lose the house, are we?" Phoebe demanded, spinning on Prue as soon as Piper was out of earshot.

"No because we're gonna take that loan and trust Piper to pack this place with people." Prue assured her.

Phoebe glanced pointedly around them. "What people?" She countered.

Prue didn't reply and instead transferred her gaze to the table until Andy stood up next to her. "Come on. Might as well dance." He explained to her questioning look. He smirked and held his hand out for her. "We can have the whole floor to ourselves." Prue smiled and accepted his hand.

Phoebe watched them leave to the mostly empty dance floor. "Where is everybody?" Phoebe sighed to herself.

~PO4~

Another Club

Leo pushed through the dance floor that was crowded with people dancing or drinking to the Dishwalla music as it was played live for their entertainment. He searched for the manager of Dishwalla who was his person of interest for his current case. As his eyes flickered over the crowd, Leo caught sight of Paige dancing with Glen. The youngest Halliwell sister followed in Glen's wake as he cleared the way to the front of the stage, dancing all the way after him. The two were clearly enjoying themselves so Leo ignored them instead of asking Paige to help him. He knew she would willingly help but it felt unfair of him to steal her from such a good time. Leo tore his eyes away and continued his search.7

~PO4~

Jeff Carlton, Dishwalla's manager, opened the door to the backstage area and allowed a pretty young woman in before him. The woman paused just inside, her eyes scanning the room curiously. "So, you like, produce records or what?" She asked.

Carlton closed the door behind him and let out a soft chuckle at her question. "No, no, nothing that creative. I'm their new manager. I take care of things, whatever needs to be done, I do." He explained, leading the way down the hallway.

"Man, I can't believe this. This is like the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened to me." She admitted with a dreamy look as she eagerly followed him.

Carlton's smile fell for a fraction of a second but was corrected before she noticed. "Ah, the night's young."

"I can't believe you picked me." The woman enthused.

They stopped outside another door and Carlton turned to face her. "Well, you seemed like a good… soul. Plus, you said the magic words. You said you'd do anything, remember?" Carlton prompted.

The woman nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin crossing her features. "Yes, yes, I do." She agreed.

"Alright, just wait inside, the band should be down any minute." Carlton promised as he opened the door for her.

She nodded again and walked inside. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

"Oh, don't thank me yet." Carlton replied, just a hint of a sigh in his voice. He closed the door behind her and leaned against it, listening intently.

The woman had only been in the room for a few seconds when she heard a noise across the room. She frowned slightly and scoured the room. "Hello? Is somebody there? Hello?" She called.

Carlton clenched the edge of the doorframe. "Hurry up, damn it." He cursed under his breath.

The woman turned around upon hearing another sound behind her. Her eyes widened in terror at the sight before her and she let out a piercing scream that was abruptly ended.

Carlton waited about a full minute after the scream before shuffling inside the room. He stared around the seemingly empty room. "Okay, that's it. No more. I can't keep doing this. It's got to stop." He yelled to one of the walls.

It was apparently the wrong one as a cloaked demon by the name of Masselin appeared from the wall behind him. "We have a pact…" Masselin spoke in a warped and echoey voice. Carlton spun around to face him. "… You get what you want and I get what I want." Masselin pulled back the cloak to reveal the agonized innocents inside him while Carlton could only watch in disgust.

~PO4~

FM Studio

"Good morning, San Francisco. This is Ralph Garmend and that was Dishwalla's hit Counting Blue Car's. Dishwalla and their manager, Jeff Carlton, are my in-studio guests this morning talking about club dates and we'll let you know when you can see them…" The DJ announced and then continued onto the rest of the day's important events.

Carlton exited the talk studio and addressed the first person he found. "Excuse me." He called but was ignored. "Jerk." Carlton muttered under his breath and then turned to see

Leo coming up the hall. "Do you know where the bathroom is?" Carlton asked.

"Yeah, it's, uh, right over here." Leo lied, pushing Carlton against the wall but out of sight of any passerbys.

Carlton shoved Leo back angrily. "Hey, what is this?" He demanded.

"An intervention." Leo answered cryptically. He blew some kind of magic dust on Carlton, whose face went blank and waited for instructions from Leo.

~PO4~

P4

Piper read over the expenditures list from her seat at the bar. "This is bad." She whispered as she saw that it was negative by over $21,000. She dropped her head into her hands just as the club door opened.

A few seconds later, Jenny walked down the steps. "You should keep that door locked, you know? Anyone could just walk in." Jenny pointed out, using herself as an example.

Piper turned in her seat and looked surprised to find her neighbor's niece. "Jenny? What are you doing here?" She questioned curiously.

"Am I breaking the law, right now? Being under-age and all?" Jenny asked instead of answering Piper's question.

"No, we're not open." Piper replied, her voice still radiating her confusion. She paused when she realized she wasn't too sure of that answer. "Uh, actually, I don't know. What's your point, Jenny?" Piper prompted.

Jenny slowly made a circle around to Piper's other side so that Piper had to turn in her seat again. "Well, if you were open for business and I was here, would you have me arrested? Because I think friendship counts for something. Even though we're not really friends yet but at least we're neighbors. And neighbors do favors for each other, right?"

She dodged, smiling hopefully up at Piper.

Piper smiled slightly. "What kind of favors, Jenny?" Piper pressed suspiciously

Jenny leaned forward with an intense expression. "I need a ticket to the show." She finally explained.

"What show?" Piper asked, once again confused.

"It's all over the radio. I have to see them. If I don't, I'll die." Jenny dramatized.

"Not a clue what you're talking about." Piper admitted.

"She's talking about passion." Carlton interrupted their conversation. Piper jumped slightly in her seat at his surprise entrance. "Piper Halliwell?" He guessed.

Piper slid out of her chair to meet him. "Yeah, can I help you with something?" Piper inquired while eyeing Carlton a little suspiciously.

"Jeff Carlton." He introduced himself and then took the moment to scan over the building. "And I have to tell you when I heard about P-quad, it was as if the fates had smiled upon me." Carlton continued.

"P-four." Piper corrected.

Carlton shrugged her correction off. "Whatever." He passed her a business card. "I manage Dishwalla." He stated.

Piper stared at the card. "Dishwalla? The Dishwalla?" Piper repeated in surprise.

Carlton didn't answer, just walked in a circle around the club, taking everything in. "I've been looking for the right place, something small, new, intimate." He explained and then turned back to face Piper. "The boys want to reacquaint themselves with the personal side of performing. They want to connect again and I think your little hole-in-the-wall here is just what the doctor ordered."

"Dishwalla wants to play in my little hole-in-the-wall?" Piper quoted, narrowing her eyes suspiciously and taking the comment as offensive.

"I want them to, don't you?" Carlton replied.

Piper appeared taken aback while Jenny grinned and nudged Piper pointedly. "Uh… yeah." Piper managed to get out.

"Then let's cross some T's and dot some I's." Carlton decided, pulling out the contract and passing it to Piper.

Jenny eagerly ran forward while Piper read through the contract. "Uh, Mr. Carlton, sir? Do you think it will be possible for me to meet the band?" She asked. Carlton's smile fell slightly at her words. "I'd do almost anything." Jenny added hopefully.

Carlton didn't immediately reply. "Careful what you wish for, sweetheart." He advised and then turned to discuss details with Piper.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"Prue, don't feel awkward." Mr. Barker's voice sounded through the phone as Prue paced nervously around her house.

In the background, she could hear the soft roar of Mr. Barker's limo which only increased her nerves. "Well, it's a big deal." Prue pointed out neutrally while running a hand through her hair.

"I know starting a business with that bank loan breathing down your neck can make things kind of scary." Mr. Barker soothed.

"Yeah, on top of your loan." Prue added.

Mr. Barker rolled his eyes. "Hey, listen, I have no doubt I'll be seeing my money again as soon as your sister gets her club off the ground."

Prue leaned against a doorframe, still hesitant. "And the terms are still the same?" She pressed.

"Absolutely. No interest." Mr. Barker assured her.

Prue shook her head slightly although she knew he couldn't see her. "Uh, no, we'll… we'll pay you interest." She insisted.

"Okay, fine, a quarter percent, whatever." He allowed and then smiled as he switched the conversation to what he really wanted to talk to her about. "Now, speaking of getting off the ground, the plane trip to Paris is still open to discussion, isn't it?" Mr. Barker asked eagerly.

"Mr. Barker… I have a fiancé and…" Prue started with a sigh as she attempted to keep polite.

"That doesn't matter. I mean, come on, hasn't that rain check burned a hole in your pocket by now?" He interrupted.

Prue rolled her eyes, thinking it was a very good thing Andy was at work right now or he might have snatched the phone from her by now. "Look, I really appreciate your offer…"

"It's not an offer, Prue, it's a dinner request." Mr. Barker corrected.

"In Paris." Prue deadpanned. "And, you know what, it does matter to me." She added, seemingly offended that Barker would just as soon go out with someone that was married. Although, she couldn't really say that she was surprised.

Mr. Barker laughed at her reaction. "You know what they call French bread in France?" He inquired.

"Bread." Prue snapped.

"Exactly, dinner in Paris is where it all begins." Mr. Barker returned with a wry smile.

Prue let out a short humorless laugh at the situation she found herself in. "Okay, you know, why don't we just start with your loan, followed with us paying you back as soon as possible?" She suggested in a voice that she hoped he took as final.

"Oh, you're a hard bargainer." He laughed.

Prue smirked. "So are you." She admitted coldly.

"I haven't even begun to fight." Mr. Barker promised. Prue didn't respond but to sigh loudly into the phone. "Paris?" Mr. Barker couldn't resist asking again.

"Stop it." Prue ordered, glaring at the phone as if Mr. Barker could see it.

"Never." Mr. Barker assured her but he seemed to realize that Prue wasn't going to be broken into it this time so he let her off. "I'll see you at the club with the money."

"Okay, bye-bye." Prue hung up hastily and dropped the phone onto the receiver in the kitchen. She turned to where Phoebe and Paige were sitting at the kitchen table. Phoebe was having a drink while Paige had a textbook open. They both looked up with identical questioning looks as Prue joined them around the table. "Well, it's all set. Mr. Barker's gonna meet us all at the club and that'll be that." She announced less-than-enthusiastically.

Phoebe frowned down at the cup in her hand. "We're doing the right thing, aren't we?" She questioned uncertainly.

Prue gave the faintest of nods though she didn't appear any more certain. "Well, we're helping out our sister. That's always the right thing, right?"

"Okay, distraction…" Phoebe decided, unconvinced with Prue's decision. She turned to Paige with a smile. "How was your date with Glen?" She demanded.

Paige smirked and sat her pencil down on the table as this was bound to be a long conversation. "Great actually. You'll never guess what he did…" She paused dramatically so that

Prue raised her eyebrows and Phoebe waved her hands in the air in a sign to keep going. "He surprised me and took me to see Dishwalla. They were playing at this other club in San Francisco." Paige exclaimed.

Phoebe squealed in excitement. "Oh, that's awesome! How were they? I can't believe you got to see them. Did you hear what Paige got to do, Prue?" Phoebe rambled.

"Yes, I did, Phoebe." Prue assured her as if talking to a child. "How did he get in? It must have been packed."

Paige nodded in agreement. "I think some friends of his couldn't go so they gave him the tickets or something like that. Sorry I didn't get back in time to stop by P4." She apologized.

"I'm sure Piper's not going to hold that against you." Prue laughed softly.

They all looked back behind them as they heard the door slam and hurried footsteps. "Guess what I did? Guess what I did? All by myself?" Piper screamed excitedly as she ran into the kitchen to find her sisters. She was nearly jumping with excitement.

"What?" Phoebe asked in surprise.

"Ready?" Piper demanded.

"What?" Paige repeated the question with raised eyebrows.

Piper leaned against the kitchen table. "Get this… Dish… walla … my club… playing there… tonight!"

Prue's eyes widened. "What?" She echoed while Phoebe's jaw dropped and Paige grinned.

Piper nodded, immensely proud of her accomplishment. "I networked. Sent off feelers, sent off press releases and wouldn't you know it. Dishwalla decided to put P4 on their schedule." She explained. She dropped her jacket and purse on the table before moving around so that she was behind her sisters where she threw her arms around Prue and Phoebe's shoulders. "How's about that? P4 has officially been validated as the place to be. We are on the map! And I couldn't have done it without you, you patient…" She trailed off to kiss Prue's cheek. "… most generous…" She kissed Phoebe's cheek. "… sisters in the whole wide world…" Piper moved again so that she threw her arms around Paige and kissed her on the cheek as well. She looked up eagerly as the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." She offered and then took off.  
"  
Well, aren't you lucky. Two nights of Dishwalla in a row." Phoebe laughed, her eyes following after Piper though she was obviously talking to Paige.

~PO4~

Piper pulled the front door open to find Leo on the threshold. "Leo, this day just keeps getting better! Hi." She greeted cheerfully while pulling him into a hug.

Leo smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He reluctantly let go after several moments. "Hi, uh, Piper, we have to talk." He explained.

Piper shut the door after Leo stepped inside. "Yeah, okay, uh, are you free tonight?" She asked but then continued before he could even answer. "Better be because you're my date. We have backstage passes, all access, baby, to see Dishwalla at P4. I made it happen!"

"Uh, no, actually, I made it happen." Leo admitted.

Piper's smile fell and she looked at him in confusion while her sisters came in the room behind her. "What?" Piper prompted to Leo.

"Yeah, look, I wanted to tell you sooner but I didn't have time. I had to move fast. There's a demon involved." He explained quickly.

"A demon?" Piper repeated, her eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, he'll be at your club tonight." Leo warned.

Piper glanced behind her at her sisters before turning back to Leo. "But, no, their manager, Jeff Carlton, came to me and- and booked them himself." She insisted.

Leo nodded. "I know. I cast a spell on him." Leo apparently didn't catch on to Piper's mounting anger.

"You what?" Piper demanded.

Leo offered her a sheepish smile, more concerned with how he was able to do that than with how angry Piper was. "I sort of cribbed it from one of the other witches I look after. I suggested to Carlton that he get Dishwalla into your club."

Prue hastily spoke up before Piper could blow up on him. "Why didn't you just come to us?" She wondered neutrally although she sincerely hoped Leo had a good reason for his sake. Her eyes flickered nervously to Piper.

"Because he knows I would have been pissed off." Piper snapped before Leo could answer. "What are you doing?" She interrogated coldly.

"My job." Leo answered, taken aback by Piper's attitude.

"Your job? What are we, like, Leo's witches now?" Piper questioned sarcastically. "We're supposed to kill a demon during a sold-out concert? Are you nuts?" She ranted.

Phoebe exchanged glances with Prue and Paige. "Piper…" She started.

"No." Piper interrupted, holding out a hand to stop Phoebe from speaking. "Leo, anywhere else, but not there. Not my place." Piper pleaded. She stared at him but he made no move to change his mind. Piper threw her hands in the air and spun around to stand next to Prue instead of Leo.

Leo sighed and instead transferred his gaze to the other three sisters. "The band's manager made a bargain with Masselin." Leo explained.

"Masselin's the demon?" Paige guessed.

"Yeah, in exchange for human sacrifice, Masselin will make Carlton rich and powerful by attracting successful bands to him." Leo continued, every now and then glancing at Piper who stubbornly wouldn't look at him.

Phoebe frowned at the information. "Are you telling me Dishwalla is hooked up with a demon?" She asked.

"No, they don't know anything about the demon." Leo replied.

"So these innocents… what happens to them?" Prue questioned.

"They're devoured by Masselin. Consumed for their souls." Leo answered.

Paige appeared disgusted at the thought. "How long has this been going on?" She demanded.

Leo looked thoughtful for a moment. "A month maybe. The more souls Masselin collects, the more successful Carlton becomes. You can't destroy the demon without first freeing those trapped within him." He instructed.

"All this freeing and destroying… is this in between sets or during the encore?" Piper snapped at Leo.

Leo slowly approached Piper. "Look, I know you're upset…"

"No… no… I skated past upset just after you came in the door. Right now, I'm at furious." Piper corrected harshly.

"We have to talk." Leo stated.

"You bet your whitelighter ass, we do." Piper agreed.

"Later, I have to go." Leo explained before he orbed out.

Piper glared at the wall and only looked up when Phoebe spoke up. "Now see, this is exactly why you should never date a co-worker." She joked.

Prue stabbed her in the ribs with her elbow while Paige placed her hands on her hips. "Phoebe." Paige scolded her elder sister for her insensitivity.

"It was joke." Phoebe insisted but sighed when she saw Piper didn't appear cheered at all. "Oh, I'm sorry, honey." She apologized.

"How could he do this?" Piper wondered aloud.

"Well, it sounds like he didn't have a choice and quite frankly, I don't think we do either." Phoebe soothed.

Prue shifted nervously from where she stood. "Well, I have to get to the office and call this… investor." Prue offered and then lowered her voice so only Phoebe and Paige could hear her. "Barker, gotta talk to Barker." She whispered.

"I'll orb you there and be right back to help you guys." Paige decided with a nod to Phoebe and Piper as she took Prue's hand and they orbed out.

~PO4~

Outside the other club

Dishwalla's instruments were being loaded up in the moving truck along with all the sound and lighting equipment that went with the performance. Andy and Darryl had managed to get Carlton away from instructing the crew for questioning.

"Tina Hitchens. She's been missing since last night when she came to this club." Darryl explained, passing Carlton a photo of the said young woman.

Carlton's attention was stolen away by his crew. "Yo, the address is on the front seat. P4!" He ordered them.

Andy paused from writing information on his notepad upon hearing Piper's club mentioned. He could feel Darryl's eyes boring into him, wondering if he had known and raising his suspicion. Andy inconspicuously shook his head before addressing Carlton. "P4? You're playing in Piper Halliwell's club?" He asked professionally.

"Yeah, so I don't have a lot of time." Carlton admitted impatiently.

Darryl didn't appear amused. "Oh, you've got time for this." Darryl returned, showing him the picture of Tina again.

"I answered your question." Carlton reminded him.

"I didn't ask one." Darryl retorted.

Carlton rolled his eyes. "You asked me if I saw Tina whoever." He argued.

Darryl exchanged a glance with Andy before looking back at Carlton. "I don't believe I did, did you?" He interrogated.

"What?" Carlton snapped.

"See her?" Darryl clarified, thrusting the picture in his face again.

"I didn't see anybody, Inspector." Carlton answered sharply.

Andy flipped his notebook of information to a different page. "One of the bartenders claims to have seen you talking with her at around 2:00 am near the stage." He stated. Andy and Darryl watched Carlton's reaction intently.

Carlton swallowed a little nervously, having not counted on anyone being able to notice that in the crowded club. "Listen, I talk to a lot of people and do you know how many women like that show up to something like this? Hundreds of them. Thousands. And they all look the same. Short skirts, tight tops. Like sexy little peas in a pod." He explained.

"So what difference does it make if one of them disappears?" Darryl finished for him.

Carlton shook his head in frustration. "I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to." Darryl replied.

"Why aren't you hassling her boyfriend?" Carlton demanded.

Andy placed a hand on Darryl's shoulder as he became increasingly mad. "Already done that. However, women all over the country have gone missing at clubs. Clubs that your band has played at. Don't you wonder why that is?" Andy asked, his voice carefully emotionless.

Carlton drew himself up. "I have nothing to do with it. I haven't seen them. What's with the Gestapo routine?" He returned with a harsh nod in Darryl's direction.

"It usually follows the 'acting like a suspect' routine." Darryl explained coldly.

Carlton raised his eyebrows and cast Darryl and challenging look. "Am I under arrest?"

Darryl met his gaze. "Not yet." He admitted though there was a clear warning in his voice.

"Melanie Jenkins?" Andy interrupted their stare down by thrusting a picture in front of Carlton.

"No." Carlton replied with barely a glance at it.

"Brittany Tyler?" Andy followed with another picture.

Carlton shook his head stubbornly. "None of them. Never saw them. Now if we're done, see ya' around." He stalked off to supervise the crew.

"Count on it." Darryl muttered under his breath. Darryl didn't take his eyes off the departing Carlton but he appeared much more relaxed than before. "You believe him?" He questioned to Andy.

"Not in the slightest." Andy answered and then let out a soft chuckle. "Nice 'Gestapo routine.' It's a good look for you." Andy complimented.

"It is, is it?" Darryl laughed as he led the way back to the car.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were gathered around the Book of Shadows in the attic. "There's Leo's problem." Piper announced, pointing to the page on Masselin after she found it.

"It's our problem." Phoebe corrected her.

Piper paced in a circle around the pedestal, Phoebe, and Paige. "You wanna know what the real problem is?" She asked.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and stared at the table. "Oh, do tell." She allowed in a voice that said they'd spoken of this already.

Piper seemed to catch on. "Never mind."

"Thank god." Paige exclaimed in relief before looking at Phoebe. "Now can we move on to the demon so that we can vanquish him and Piper and Leo will have to plenty of time to work this out?" Paige suggested.

Phoebe nodded and turned the book so that she could read it. Piper cast Paige a look of annoyance but didn't say anything. However, she only gave Phoebe a few moments to read the page before speaking again. "So how do we vanquish this creep?" She prompted for some progress.

"If you would keep quiet for five minutes, Phoebe will be able to tell you." Paige pointed out with a roll of her eyes.

"What was with that attitude?" Piper demanded.

Paige narrowed her eyes and appeared offended. "I am not the one with an attitude." She argued.

"Not you. Leo." Piper corrected as if it should have been obvious. Paige fell silent while Phoebe dropped her head into her hands. "It was like he was angry that I was angry. I have a right to be angry, don't I?" Piper questioned. She didn't wait for either of her sisters to answer. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Then don't." Phoebe suggested.

"Whoa!" Piper exclaimed.

Paige sighed loudly. "What now, Piper?" She asked, fully expecting something to do with Leo.

Piper pointed at the page on Masselin. "Look at Masselin's victims." She ordered.

"Yeah…" Phoebe admitted sadly. "… 'trapped within the demon. The unfortunates are kept alive, their souls tortured for the pleasure he gets from their suffering.'" She read.

Paige wrinkled her nose at the summary. "What is it with demons and souls now? Everywhere we turn someone's about to lose their soul or something." Paige ranted.

"Just what they do, I guess. We gotta get them outta there." Phoebe decided.

"With what? Demonic Ipecac?" Piper questioned sarcastically.

Phoebe raised her eyebrows as she continued reading. "Actually, yeah, that seems to be the idea." Phoebe admitted before pointing at another line in the Book of Shadows.

"The demon seeks willing, trusting souls, delivered by the one who sealed the pact." Paige finished reading.

"The manager." Piper realized.

Phoebe nodded in agreement. "So we have to get close to Carlton."

"Well, I'm already close and as far as we know, I'm a willing, trusting soul… a sucker. Someone who falls for a quick line from a pretty face." Piper dramatized.

"Will you please stop that?" Phoebe pleaded after exchanging another glance with Paige.

"You're right. Fine. Leo is the least of my worries." Piper agreed.

 

Paige grabbed the Book of Shadows off the pedestal. "Yep, that is tomorrow's problem."

Piper frowned at the thought. "I don't think I can wait that long." She admitted seriously.

Phoebe laughed softly. "Well, you're gonna have to because tonight we have some major demon ass-kicking to do." She argued, jabbing at the book in Paige's arms. Piper didn't look pleased while Paige rolled her eyes and led the way down the steps to work on the potion.

~PO4~

Inside the other club

Carlton warily entered the back room where Masselin was currently hiding out in. Masselin immediately appeared out of the wall and Carlton spoke. "Cops are asking questions. And you know what? They're not gonna catch you, no, sir. They're gonna catch me. Alright, okay! I'm out. I'm done with it. No more souls. The pact, the agreement is officially null and void." Carlton decided with an air of finality despite how his voice shook with nerves.

Masselin slowly approached and waved his hand over Carlton. Flames erupted around the manager and he dropped to his knees, screaming in agony. Masselin waved his hand again and the flames disappeared. "You will honor your agreement, Mr. Carlton. You'll bring me more souls." Masselin ordered.

Carlton nodded weakly. "Okay, okay." He whispered.

~PO4~

Ingredients Store

Piper and Paige warily approached a small run-down shop on the very edge of town. It was said to sell ingredients that were used in potions and therefore was probably run by a witch. Despite whoever ran the place, the two sisters were reluctant to actually go inside. It looked sketchy at best and it was one of the last places they wanted to be caught hanging around in. Piper and Paige were now standing just outside the door.

"Alright, Paige, what ingredients do we need?" Piper asked. "I don't want to spend more time than I have to in this place." She added, eyeing the building nervously.

Paige dug through her bright red and yellow bag for the lists. "Uh, Myrrh bark and Sarresh." She read, knitting her eyebrows together. She didn't recognize either of the names.

Piper narrowed her eyes at Paige's bag. She personally thought it was hideous but had learned that her opinion on the matter didn't faze Paige a bit. "Let's get this over with."

Piper decided. Piper led the way inside and winced when a bell tinkled against the door and announced their entrance to the owners.

"Subtle." Paige joked under her breath, earning a glare from Piper which she shrugged off. Piper approached the person behind the desk while Paige scanned the shelves. She noticed the store had some normalish ingredients: thyme, rosemary, holy thistle among them but there were plenty of weird stuff too. Eye of Newt, fairy wings, blood meal, and gypsy blood to name a few. This place was most assuredly Wicca run.

Piper leaned against the counter and tried to appear nonchalant. "Do you have Myrrh bark and Sarresh?" She questioned. The man that was running the store at the moment glanced up from his crossword puzzle. Piper had a vague thought that not many people stopped by this place. Other than the condition of the building… this guy didn't look much better. Finally, he pointed a grubby finger at one of the shelves. "Thanks." Piper offered and hurried over to it. "Paige, over here." She called.

Paige tore herself away from studying a book of potions (most had seemed dangerous) and joined Piper. "This place gives me the creeps." Paige admitted with a soft laugh. She located the Sarresh the same time Piper found the Myrrh bark.

"Agreed. Let's get out." Piper suggested. They had just turned around and nearly ran into another customer.

"Oh, sorry." Paige apologized.

The young woman that was the victim shrugged them off. "No problem." She assured them and then hesitated when she actually looked them over. Her green eyes landed on Paige. "Paige?"

Paige froze at hearing her name and glanced over the other woman curiously. "Uh, Jana, right?" Paige realized.

Jana nodded while brushing her light brownish-blonde hair from her face. "Yeah, 10:15, Mr. Bradford." She added and then glanced around her nervously. "Uh, what are you doing here?" She wondered.

"Uh…" Paige mumbled.

"Aphrodisiacs." Piper blurted out, earning a look of surprise from Jana and a dropped jaw from Paige. "Um, yeah, these are natural aphrodisiacs." Piper explained while holding up the Myrrh bark.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Right. What she said…" Paige agreed slowly. "What are you doing?" She questioned to change the subject away from her.

"Just… looking around." Jana answered absently. She was eyeing Piper with a weird look. Probably because of the aphrodisiac comment.

Piper grabbed hold of Paige's wrist and pulled her toward the counter. "We're sorta in a hurry." She stated none-too-subtly.

Paige waved a farewell behind her. "I'll see you in class." She offered, not entirely sure if she would or not after this. Jana probably thought she was too weird of a person.

"So who was she?" Piper demanded under her breath as she paid for their items.

"Someone in my class. We worked on a mini-project for a couple days." Paige replied. She allowed her gaze to flicker over to where Jana had been only to find her gone. "Don't know what she's doing here though. Never seemed the type for this kind of thing."

"Well, let's just go before we get caught by someone else." Piper suggested and they hurriedly left with their ingredients.

~PO4~

Bucklands Auction House

"So what you're telling me is that you no longer need a white-knight to rescue you and your sisters from debt." Mr. Barker summarized as he circled Prue like a hawk.

Prue watched him warily from her desk. "No." She declined his help.

Mr. Barker stopped and met Prue's eyes with a faint frown. "But we have a deal." He pointed out, carefully expressionless.

"Well, what we had was an agreement to make a deal and I no longer agree." Prue argued lightly.

Mr. Barker nodded. "I see. This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain band choosing to play at P4 tonight, would it?" He guessed. He smirked when Prue looked surprised.

"Word travels fast." Mr. Barker explained.

"Yeah, well, Piper pulled us out of the fire." Prue admitted.

"Yes, and in doing so, revealed to me quite a diamond in the rough." He agreed.

Prue narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Meaning what?" She prompted.

"Well, meaning, I understand you're showing me the door but I think I rather like this party." Mr. Barker clarified. His smile widened as Prue stared at him in disbelief. "I think your sister's little venture is on its way to great success. Which is why I've already gone to your bank and made an offer to pick up your loan."

Prue shifted in her seat. "You didn't." Prue stated, stunned by the double cross.

"Did." Barker promised her.

Prue hastily stood up from her desk and approached Mr. Barker. "Okay, Mr. Barker… uh, we have a relationship…" She started.

Mr. Barker nodded in agreement. "Yes, and you've brought so many valuable items into my field of view…" He trailed off with a none-too-subtle look over her body. "… I just have this feeling that your sister's club is going to be the best one yet. Could you put me on the guest list for tonight? Me plus one. I'd like to see what I'm buying." Mr. Barker explained.  
7  
Prue took a deep breath to keep herself under control. "Okay, I am asking nicely, for your own sake, not to go through with this." She advised carefully.

"Is that a threat, Ms. Halliwell?" Mr. Barker asked, narrowing his eyes. He took a step toward her so that he towered over her short stature but she met his eyes confidently. "Be careful. You could be jeopardizing a very profitable relationship." He warned. Mr. Barker took another step toward her that forced her to step back against the wall. "Two passes."

He reminded her, holding up two fingers before placing his hands against the wall on either side of her. "I'd like a booth, too, close to the stage." He ordered.

"Hey, Man, is there a problem?" Andy interrupted from his place in the doorway. He took one look at Barker too close to Prue and Prue looking angry and flustered at the same time before fixing his gaze squarely on Mr. Barker.

Mr. Barker slowly backed away from Prue and smirked at Andy. "No, we're done." He stated and then with one last hard glance at Prue, he slipped out of the room.

"You okay, Prue?" Andy questioned as soon as he was gone, trying to read the expressions on her face.

"No, Piper's going to hate me." Prue groaned while moving back to her desk and dropping heavily into her seat.

"Is this about P4? I heard about Dishwalla." Andy explained.

Prue sighed and nodded. "It just happened. I haven't had time to call you. Is that why you're here?" Andy gave her the faintest of nods for her to explain whatever problem she had and took the seat across from her desk.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"How's the bear root, Paige?" Phoebe asked from the other side of the kitchen where the sisters were working on the potion that would vanquish Masselin.

Paige paused from using the mortar and pestle to grind the bear root into a powder. "Fine." She admitted, meaning that the task was going well as well as the root was now a fine powder. She sneezed when some of the powder got in the air around her and accidently orbed out. Paige reappeared in the same spot looking a little flustered. "Can we switch? I think I'm allergic to this or something." She pleaded.

Phoebe nodded and switched places with Paige. "I was just cutting up the Sarresh and boiling the water clean." She explained.

Piper looked up from gathering the Myrrh bark. "How is this gonna work?" Piper wondered.

"We're just gonna slip a little extra-strength antacid." Phoebe offered, waving her hand at the ingredients that would soon become the potion.

Paige shifted around so that she could read the open Book of Shadows while cutting the Sarresh. "The book says that he should disappear like a demonic gas bubble, freeing his victims and leaving them safe and sound." She added helpfully.

"Okay, but we can't even give our cat a vitamin. How are we gonna get this down a demon's throat?" Piper returned.

"In this." Phoebe answered, holding up a balloon for her sisters to see.

"In a balloon?" Paige asked, not appearing too confident in Phoebe's plan. Phoebe just nodded confidently.

Piper raised her eyebrows. "Okay, where is it?" She demanded.

Phoebe tilted her head in confusion. "Where is what?"

"The spoonful of sugar big enough to hide that thing." Piper clarified. She crossed her arms and stared at Phoebe for an explanation.

Phoebe smirked at her sisters' confusion. "You're looking at her." She replied with a soft laugh.

"You?" Paige realized and she didn't sound happy about it.

"Yeah, well, the only way to get Masselin is through Carlton, right? So all I'll have to do is get close to Carlton, pretend I'm some choice tidbit. Then we get Masselin to swallow this." Phoebe explained.

"Right before he swallows you, Phoebe!" Piper exclaimed. "No, it's too dangerous." She decided.

Phoebe rolled her eyes at their reaction. "Well, unless you have a better idea, it's our only choice." She retorted.

Paige raised her hand quickly. "I got one. I do it." Paige announced and all eyes turned to her. "I can orb just before he swallows me whereas, Phoebe can't." She pointed out.

"Fine, Missy Paige can do the honors." Piper agreed after a few moments of contemplation.

"Okay. Good luck, Paige. Try not to get eaten. I would miss you." Phoebe admitted with a dramatic air. "All three of us will be there to back you up and we'll find someone to distract Glen so that he doesn't see you catching Carlton's attention." Phoebe continued with a nod to herself.

Piper sighed as she grabbed the bowl of her Myrrh bark and tossed the stuff in the blender. "I hate him." She muttered.

"Of course you hate him. He's a demon." Phoebe stated. She sat down on the edge of the table to wait for the Myrrh bark.

Paige, also, finished cutting her part of the potion and watched Piper. "I don't think that's who she's talking about." Phoebe frowned and looked to Piper for an answer.

Piper didn't appear to have been listening to Phoebe and Paige. "He didn't even have the decency to ask me first. He at least could have discussed it with me." Piper ranted.

"Oh, Leo." Phoebe realized with a nod to Paige.

"I mean, can you believe him? He acted as if we've never had a relationship before. Like it was just business." Piper went on as if Phoebe hadn't interrupted. She spun back to the blender and pressed the 'on' button without putting on the lid. The Myrrh bark began flying in all directions and Piper jumped back, using her hands to keep the stuff from her face. "Oh! Oh!"

Phoebe jumped off the table and stepped around Piper so that she could turn the blender off. She picked up the top after it had stopped and slammed it on the blender. "You have to put the lid on, honey." She reminded her over the soft laughter behind them that was Paige.

"And I saw the future too, you know. Leo and I got married. A marriage in the future implies some sort of relationship in the present… the question is, where is the relationship?" Piper continued, ignoring the mess with the blender. She knocked a few pieces of the bark off her shirt but otherwise, looked to her sisters for an answer.

"Piper, sweetie, um, Leo was kept prisoner in the underworld for… well, we don't know exactly how long. We don't know what could have happened and where it put him in regards to his superiors. So, before you blow up on him again, just talk to him." Paige suggested in soothing voice.

Piper sighed, realizing Paige was right but not quite ready to forgive him yet. "I'd rather just freeze him and kick him in the…." She trailed off when the doorbell rang. "That had better not be him." Piper stated before stalking off to answer the door.

"In the shins?" Phoebe asked as Piper made for the front door.

Piper paused just long enough to look over her shoulder. "Not exactly."

Phoebe laughed while Paige went to grab the now diced Myrrh bark to continue the potion. "Oh, the poor guy." Paige giggled.

~PO4~

Piper opened the front door to reveal Dan on the other side. Dan turned to meet her as soon as he heard the door open. "Piper." He greeted, carefully neutral.

"Dan, hi." Piper returned. She offered him a small smile despite being more than a little surprised that it was him at her doorstep.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Dan asked hastily.

Piper tilted her head to the side. "Sure." She allowed, opening the door wider for Dan. She closed it behind him. "What's up?" Piper wondered as she turned to face him with a questioning look.

"It's Jenny… did you tell her she could go see Dishwalla tonight?" He questioned almost immediately upon entering.

Piper's eyes widened and she shook her head enthusiastically. "No. No. She can't go." Piper insisted.

Dan appeared to relax just a little. "She said you said it was alright." He explained.

Piper frowned and ran a hand through her hair. "Well, I didn't exactly tell her it wasn't but things were happening kind of fast…"

"Well, she's in her room right now, picking out her clothes." Dan interrupted.

"Oh god, okay… I'll go talk to her." Piper assured him. She pulled open the front door and started out with Dan only to find Leo in the way.

Leo waved a little hesitantly at Piper. "Hi." He greeted softly.

Piper froze and fixed him with a cool stare. "Hello."

"Listen, I was hoping that we could, uh…" Leo trailed off when he saw Dan standing behind her. "…talk." He finished kind of awkwardly.

Piper nodded slightly and then remembered Dan. "Sure, uh, Leo, this is…"

"Dan Gordon." Leo stated with a faint nod of greeting to Dan.

"Wait, you know him?" Piper asked in surprise.

Leo looked at her as if she was crazy. "What? Are you kidding? He used to play second base for the Mariners. He had an all-star season going 'til he blew out his knee sliding into home." Leo explained to her before turning to Dan. "I still think you were safe." He added.

"So do I." Dan agreed.

"I'm Leo." Leo introduced himself and held his hand out to shake.

Dan politely took it. "Nice meeting you…"

"No, it's not." Piper interrupted before spinning back to face Leo. "You follow baseball?" She questioned.

Leo grinned and gave her a slight nod. "Yeah." Leo admitted.

"You have time for baseball, but you don't have time to tell me about you-know-what before you-know-who shows up you-know-where?" Piper demanded with a glare at him that made Leo hesitate.

Dan glanced between them awkwardly. "Uh, listen, if you two need to talk or something, I can…" He pointed toward the door, signaling he could leave them alone.

Piper spoke up before Leo could. "No, no, no. We don't need to talk. Leo stops by occasionally to fix things. Phoebe and Paige can show him around." She decided, waving her hand in the direction of the kitchen where Phoebe and Paige were coming to see what was going on. "Ahem, let's go talk to Jenny." Piper insisted before leading the way out the front door with Dan.

"It was nice meeting you." Dan offered as he followed Piper.

"Yeah, you too." Leo allowed. He watched Dan close the door behind them before he faced Phoebe and Paige.

Phoebe was watching him sympathetically. "She's just a little upset." Phoebe explained.

Leo just nodded slightly. "Yeah… I don't blame her."

Paige stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. "Don't worry about it, Leo. She'll get over it." She promised confidently, causing Leo to smile a little hopefully.


	6. The Devil's Music Part 2

Bucklands Auction House

Prue led the way to the elevator with Andy just behind her carrying her bag. The former was hurrying the latter along so that they almost missed passing by Darryl. Andy looked confused while Prue just looked surprised at seeing the other cop.

"Right, and this is where you say 'Darryl,' I say 'Prue' and then you say something like 'what are you doing here?'" Darryl quoted with a pointed look at Prue.

Prue tilted her head to the side. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

Darryl ignored her for the moment and met his partner's gaze evenly. "I want to talk to her." He stated neutrally but in a voice that clearly said alone.

"We were just leaving." Prue decided, grabbing onto Andy's arm and pulling him toward the elevator.

"To P4?" Darryl guessed, causing Prue to stop in her tracks. "As usual, I barely know what's going on and I don't like it." Darryl continued.

"I do know and I'll tell you after I drop Prue off at the Manor." Andy offered.

Darryl shook his head and blocked their way to the elevator. "Funny, she used to say the same thing to you." He pointed out icily so that Andy sighed. Darryl was obviously insinuating that Andy wasn't going to explain everything either as Prue never had. He seemed to realize he won that round so he went on. "I know it's all about keeping me safe…"

He started with a glance at Prue. "… and you're all about keeping her safe and I respect that." Darryl insisted, now staring at Andy. "But we're partners and we need to be on the same level." Andy didn't reply so Darryl turned back to Prue, interpreting his partner's silence to mean that he was allowed to have his conversation with Prue. "What do you know about Jeff Carlton?" He asked.

"I can't." Prue pleaded softly.

"Look, I know you have a secret. Andy has spilled that much to me and if he says to help you than I will, that is enough for me. I don't even want to know what was going on at that stand-off with Rodriguez and Anderson but whenever you and your sisters get involved, the whole playing field goes crazy." Darryl pressed.

"Yeah and gets a lot more dangerous." Prue countered.

"I'm a cop. Stop protecting me, Prue." Darryl snapped.

Prue's gaze dropped to the ground for a moment while she gathered something to say. "You have absolutely no idea…"

"I'm an imaginative guy. I have plenty of ideas. I even had you four working for the CIA awhile." Darryl interrupted before looking to the silent Andy. "None of that matters. What matters is that we…" He made a motion with his hand indicating all three of them. "… work out some kind of relationship. We're gonna need to communicate or I'm gonna become very unsociable." Darryl warned.

"Prue…" Andy called for her attention. He nodded slightly in Darryl's direction, silently conveying that he thought she should tell him what he wanted.

They seemed to have some kind of silent conversation before Prue sighed and reluctantly nodded to Darryl. "Okay, ask what you want." Prue allowed.

"The missing women and Jeff Carlton." Darryl prompted after a moment of silence.

"We're working on it." Prue admitted.

Darryl nodded, unsurprised. "I figured."

"Look, Darryl, just trust us, okay? We've got this one for right now." Prue promised before glancing at Andy. "Andy will keep you informed with how we're doing…" She trailed off and smirked a little. "Just badger him until he tells you what you want." Prue offered as a joke to lighten the somber mood.

Darryl smiled slightly. "Sure." He agreed.

"I have to go." Prue insisted. She glanced at Andy again before heading for the elevator.

"Tell her to be careful." Darryl wished to Andy as he watched Prue leave with a concerned expression.

Andy nodded faintly. "Okay, man, see you in an hour." He hastily followed after Prue and regrouped with her just as the elevator opened to admit them.

~PO4~

Dan's House

"Jenny, the state could shut me down." Piper attempted to explain to the young teenager as Jenny searched through her clothes and Dan waited in the doorway.

"How are they gonna find out? Are you gonna tell them? 'Cause I'm not gonna tell them." Jenny pointed out before looking down at her two skirts. "Do you like the red or the denim?" She asked, holding them up for Piper to see.

Dan sighed and stepped into the room to help Piper with his niece. "Jenny…"

"Yeah, sure, let's hear from Uncle Dan. Who never in his life faked an I.D. or snuck into a bar. Who did nothing wrong ever." Jenny interrupted in a sarcastic tone.

Dan had to refrain from rolling his eyes. "We're talking about you." He turned it around.

Jenny shook her head. "No, we're talking about Piper and she said I could see the show." Jenny argued with a point in Piper's direction.

"Jenny, I never said that…" Piper denied before a huge argument broke out. "… I'm sorry, but I can't let you in the club." She apologized.

"Your mom and dad, they put me in charge." Dan reminded her.

Jenny glared at her uncle with fresh tears shining in her eyes. "Right, everybody's in charge, but not me. Never. Why is that?" She snapped. Jenny threw her skirts on the bed and stormed out of the room.

"I'm sorry. She's just feeling a little, you know…" Dan started to Piper.

"Betrayed." Piper finished for him. She slowly turned to face Dan. "It's okay. I know the feeling." Piper admitted before offering Dan a half-smile and then making her way out of their house.

~PO4~

P4

Prue, Phoebe, and Paige huddled around a table in the packed-out bar making last minute preparations on how to deal with their demon visitor and his lackey.

"You didn't leave any passes for that investor guy, did you?" Phoebe asked Prue with a nervous glance toward the bar where Piper was helping her staff.

"No way. The last thing we need is for Piper to find out she's going to lose her club." Prue assured her.

Paige nodded in agreement. "I told the bouncer that anyone by the name of Chris Barker is not allowed in under any circumstances. That should buy us some time with him." Paige added, waving her hand in the direction of the front entrance where people were still pouring in.

Phoebe only relaxed a little. "If the bank accepts his offer…"

"One hellish complication at a time." Prue interrupted, feeling as if any more bad news was to come, her head might just explode. She glanced at Paige. "Do you have the poison pill?" She questioned.

Paige shook her head and pointed to Phoebe. "Phoebe does. Her bag was bigger." She explained.

Phoebe smiled and pulled out the balloon filled with the potion and passed it to Paige. "She is now armed and dangerous." Phoebe joked.

"What about Andy? Is he coming?" Paige inquired, a little surprised that he wasn't here.

Prue nodded slightly. "Yeah, but he's coming on duty with Darryl so he's only going to get involved if we're in serious need of help. Mostly he's just going to try and keep everyone's attention away from us." Prue answered just before catching eyes with Piper. Piper tilted her head at Carlton who was just now approaching her. "Alright, demon boy's here." She announced to Phoebe and Paige.

"Positions?" Paige suggested, earning a nod from Prue and Phoebe.

The sisters split up. Paige joined Glen at a table where she was immediately pulled into a conversation that she was only half-listening to. One eye was kept on Prue, who was to give her the signal for action. Phoebe and Prue took a seat at the bar, both watching Piper but feigning at ease with some pointless girl-talk. Piper waited for Carlton to join her.

"Mr. Carlton." She offered as a way of greeting.

Carlton nodded to her. "Nice crowd. Is the band here?" He asked.

"Yep, they came in the back way. They're right over there. Everything's ready." Piper assured while pointing in the corresponding direction for the band.

"Better be. I don't want any problems." Carlton stated before leaving her to check on his band.

"Too bad." Piper muttered under her breath as Carlton walked away.

"Talking to yourself again, I see." Leo teased, coming to stand next to her as soon as Carlton was gone.

Piper smirked and glared playfully at him before she remembered she was supposed to be mad at him. "What are you doing here?" She questioned.

"I'm watching over things. It's what I do, remember?" Leo reminded her, attempting to ignore her tone of voice and continue a civil conversation.

Piper just nodded and scanned the crowd. "I remember when it didn't use to be a job." She retorted.

Leo sighed as she knocked down his attempt. "Look, this isn't easy for me either, Piper, you know…"

"Leo, I really can't talk about this right now." Piper interrupted while trying to get Prue's attention that step two of the plan could be commenced. "Excuse me." Piper offered to Leo and then slipped through the crowd to Prue and Phoebe.

Prue nudged Phoebe in the side with her elbow as Piper approached them. "Your turn, Pheebs. Good luck." She whispered.

Phoebe gave her a thumbs up and approached Paige and Glen while Piper took Phoebe's vacated seat next to Prue. Phoebe pulled a chair from a nearby table and sat it at Paige and Glen's table. "Hey, Paige, Prue and Piper need some help with the lighting." She lied smoothly.

Paige feigned annoyance at her 'date' being interrupted. "Why can't you help?" Paige returned.

"They won't let me. Remember the last time I tried to help with the lights?" Phoebe prompted, lowering a voice as if it was a secret.

"But…" Paige trailed off with a groan as she realized the inevitable. She glanced inconspicuously at Glen to see if he was buying the scene.

Glen's eyes kept flickering between Paige and Phoebe, his face unreadable. After a moment he offered them a smile. "It's cool, Paige. Go help them." He suggested and then winked conspiratorially. "Just be quick."

Paige blushed ever-so-slightly when Phoebe wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. She mumbled something inaudible before disappearing into the crowd where she dropped her annoyed façade. Phoebe smirked at Glen and pulled a pack of cards out of her bag. "How 'bout a game of poker, Glen? It's been awhile and I think I can beat you now." Phoebe insisted, already dealing out the cards.

Glen laughed and took his cards confidently. "You're on." He agreed. He didn't notice Phoebe only had half her attention on her cards as she watched Prue and Piper closely who were no doubt watching Paige like a hawk.

~PO4~

Paige was just able to catch Prue and Piper's eye before getting to Carlton. "Keep watch on me." She mouthed, earning a nod from both her eldest sisters. She took a deep breath, made sure the potion balloon was secure, and stepped confidently up to Carlton. "Hey, uh, you're Jeff Carlton, right?" Paige asked in a falsely eager voice.

Carlton smiled, appearing pleased that someone knew his name. Especially since Paige was far from being bad to look at. "Yes." He answered pleasantly.

Paige shifted to accentuate her flashy and on-the-revealing-side clothing. "I knew it. I'd recognize you anywhere!" She gushed as a fan would. Paige hastily jumped to explain how she would know him before she creeped him out or something. "I go to Berkeley and my music management class uses you as an example all the time."

"They do? Learn good things, I hope." Carlton prompted a little surprised but more intrigued by Paige.

Paige nodded enthusiastically. "I have learned so much from your example. I even wrote a paper for another class on how you went from being an ordinary guy to successful music manager." She giggled seemingly embarrassed but Carlton looked flattered so she continued. "I'm hoping to be able to do the same thing." She admitted.

"Really?" Carlton looked at her thoughtfully.

"I was hoping that maybe you could help me out a little. You know, give me the inside scoop from your point-of-view." Paige pressed carefully. She smiled flirtatiously, all the while thinking that she wanted to drop the stupid smile from her face.

"You want an exclusive interview?" Carlton guessed.

Paige nodded again. "I would do almost anything."

Carlton mulled the thought over. "Anything, huh? I suppose I could share a few secrets." He waved for her to follow him. "This way." He called and Paige eagerly skipped after him.

~PO4~

"Where is he taking her?" Prue asked as she and Piper watched Carlton lead Paige away. She could just see Paige reach into her bag where the potion pill waited.

Piper narrowed her eyes, trying to gauge Carlton's direction. "In the back." She stated.

Prue frowned but waited until Carlton and Paige made it to the door before moving. "Alright, let's go." Prue ordered. Piper turned to look at Phoebe and found her staring at them intently. Piper waved her hands frantically, hoping that Phoebe would get the idea before she hurried after Prue.

~PO4~

Phoebe jumped up from her and Glen's poker game. "Uh, Glen, I forgot… I forgot something. I'll be right back." She promised hastily, all the while backing away from their table.

"Don't peek at my cards." She added over her shoulder.

Glen watched her leave in confusion. He shrugged and grabbed at her unguarded cards and did exactly what Phoebe had told him not to.

~PO4~

Carlton pushed Paige, a little roughly if she said so herself, into the back and closed and locked the door behind them. Paige narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What's the rush?" She demanded, growing uneasy despite knowing that a locked door would hardly slow her sisters down much.

"No time to waste. I have to be back out in thirty minutes." Carlton replied and then grabbed her arm. He pulled her to the office room and thrust her inside before she could say anything. He closed and held the door from the outside so that Paige wouldn't be able to get out.

Paige nervously scanned the room and backed into a corner, her hand on the potion in her bag.

~PO4~

Piper pushed against the door but found it wouldn't move. "Oops…" She mumbled, realizing that Carlton must have locked it from the inside.

Phoebe came running up to them and was surprised to find Piper and Prue waiting outside the door. "What are guys waiting for?" She inquired, looking nervously at the door that separated them from Paige.

"It's locked." Piper stated.

Prue grabbed Piper's arm and pulled her away from the door. She threw her hand at the door and it swung open, nearly falling off its hinges. Carlton spun around at the sound and tried to make a run for it but Piper froze him, mid step.

"Paige must be in there." Phoebe decided, pointing at the office door.

~PO4~

Paige had just backed to the wall when she shivered violently with the familiar bad feeling. She spun around and found Masselin leering over her. She shrieked and grabbed the poison balloon and made to throw it at the demon. Masselin took one look at the balloon before disappearing into the wall again.

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe tumbled into the room, every eye scanning the room for danger. "Are you alright?" Piper asked immediately.

"Where are the innocents?" Phoebe questioned.

"Did you get him?" Prue demanded when she didn't see any demon.

"No." Paige mumbled, partially in shock.

Piper looked surprised. "What?"

"He left." Paige answered simply, holding the balloon carefully.

Prue grabbed Paige's arm, still scanning the room warily. "Okay, we're gonna have to regroup. Come on, let's go." Prue ordered and then led the way out of the room. They had just left outside when Carlton unfroze to find an empty room in front of him.

~PO4~

"No, you guys, he was big and ugly and scary and- and I really think we need more potion." Paige insisted while pacing around the bar. She waved her hands dramatically when her sisters didn't appear to really believe her.

Phoebe linked arms with her and stroked her hair soothingly. "Paige, honey, the book said the potion was big enough. Just calm down." She soothed.

"You didn't see him." Paige retorted.

"Maybe we just came in too soon." Piper suggested with a shrug.

Phoebe frowned and shook her head. "More likely, he saw the potion and disappeared." Phoebe offered.

Piper returned the shrug as it didn't really matter. "Well, in any case, the spook's spooked." She pointed out.

"And took the trapped souls with him. The ones we have to save." Phoebe added dejectedly.

Prue cut in before they could freak out anymore. "Look, we don't know for sure that the demon is gone. If he is still here then he's gonna feed again and Carlton's the one to feed him." She stated before glancing at the still in shock Paige. 

"Do you still have the poison pill?" Prue asked.

Paige nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah."

"Alright, we need to cover the exits, look for Carlton, if we see him grab anybody, Piper, you freeze the room and we'll get into positions." Prue ordered and received nods from each of her sisters.

Phoebe frowned suddenly. "Uh, what about Glen?" She questioned, looking to Paige.

"I'll just ignore him. He can entertain himself just fine." Paige decided before following Prue as the eldest sister moved into a position to study Carlton and watch an exit.

Piper was glaring around the club. "I wish we could just stuff his head in a toilet and make him cough up the demon." She muttered under her breath.

Phoebe turned sympathetic eyes to Piper. "Oh, honey, still upset with Leo?" She guessed with a sigh.

"I was talking about Carlton." Piper replied as if it should have been obvious.

Phoebe threw her hands in the air as Piper walked to a position. "I can't keep up." She groaned, hurrying off as well.

~PO4~

In the back office room, Carlton stood before a very unhappy Masselin. "You brought witches to destroy me." Masselin accused.

Carlton's eyes widened in horror. "What are you talking about? No, I didn't. I swear." Carlton jumped to deny in the hopes Masselin wouldn't think he was lying.

"To whom do you swear?" Masselin demanded.

Carlton dropped to his knees in front of Masselin. "To you. Just you. I didn't know about the witches." He promised, daring to hope he might actually make it out of this alive.

Masselin considered him for several long and agonizing moments for Carlton. "Your most recent selection, she holds the key to my destruction. Take it from her." The demon ordered.

"But why? They know about you, they know about me." Carlton pointed out nervously.

"Take it from her and bring the witches to me." Masselin replied.

"Alright, alright, but how am I gonna get 'em back here? I mean, they're gonna be a little suspicious." Carlton agreed despite not knowing how to proceed.

"Tempt them with an innocent soul." Masselin answered shortly.

~PO4~

Jenny finally arrived outside the club and began to push through the crowd. "Excuse me… I'm sorry… Pardon me. Sorry." She offered as she slowly made her way to the front despite the long line waiting to get inside.

~PO4~

"I'm sorry but if you don't have a ticket and your name isn't on the guest list then I can't let you in." The bouncer insisted.

Barker chuckled to hide his embarrassment and gave his date a smug smile while pulling out a fifty dollar bill. "Try looking under 'G' for Grant." He suggested, surreptitiously slipping the bouncer the bill.

The bouncer accepted it and turned his attention to his clipboard and the names. Jenny took the opportunity to slip by them unnoticed. "Oh here you are, Mr. Grant." He lied, allowing Barker through.

"Thank you." Mr. Barker gratified and then led his date inside the club.

~PO4~

Dishwalla began their first song of the night and the four sisters continued their rounds searching for Carlton. Piper was the first to spot him moving through the crowd. She turned to find Prue and Paige, who had just passed by but instead found herself face to face with Leo. "I wish you would quit doing that." She griped after collecting herself.

"What's happening?" Leo demanded, leaning down so that his softer words could be heard.

"We're on it, Leo. We're just waiting for Carlton to do his thing." Piper assured him.

Leo threw that conversation to the wind and pressed what really mattered to him. "Look, you think I like this?" He asked. His voice clearly showed that he didn't.

Piper sighed at the conversation turn. "Leo…" She started.

"Do you think I like not being with you?" Leo continued, ignoring her attempt to disengage him.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Okay, can we cut the crap? I know what you have to do. I always have but since you finally came back from down there…" She pointed to the ground. "… where we stand is just that much more confusing." Piper snapped. Piper paused, taking a moment to breath before beginning again. "The question is: What do you want? What do you wanna do? With me? With us? Do you ever think about that?" She questioned.

"All the time." Leo admitted.

"You ever want to discuss it with me?" Piper pressed.

"Yes, it's just the timing always seems to…" Leo began.

Piper caught sight of Darryl and Andy coming down the stairs of the entranceway. She frowned, that probably wasn't good. "… seems to suck." She finished for him. Piper sighed and turned back to Leo. "Okay, hold that thought. Don't let go. Just hold it." Piper ordered before hurrying towards Prue and Paige. "Morris and Andy are here." Piper exclaimed.

"Where?" Prue asked, spinning around to look at the entrance. Instead of seeing her fiancé and his work partner, she locked gazes with Mr. Barker. "Oh boy…" She whispered while staring at him in horror. He had obviously seen her and was moving this way.  
"  
What are you looking at? They're over there." Piper told her, pointing farther down the club.

Prue grabbed Paige's wrist and pulled her close. "Go get Andy and get him to keep him…" She nodded in Barker's direction. "…away." Prue ordered. Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed the confused Piper and pulled her in the opposite direction. "Huh, yeah, okay." She muttered, desperately forcing up a mental block as she felt Piper try to probe for what was going on.

~PO4~

Carlton caught sight of Paige hurrying through the crowd as she tried to get to Andy and Darryl. Since it was so crowded, he didn't realize she was approaching two cops and didn't think much of her hurry. Carlton waved and got the attention of a security guy. "See that honey by the stairs with the bright floral bag? She's got something in it." He tipped.

The security bouncer followed Carlton's pointing finger. "Something illegal?" He asked.

"Extremely. Get it out of here." Carlton ordered.

The security bouncer nodded and advanced on the unsuspecting Paige. "You got it." He assured to Carlton.

Paige had just made it to Andy and Darryl, surprising the two cops. "Andy, Andy, Andy, you gotta distract that guy!" She exclaimed, pointing frantically at Mr. Barker, who was still attempting to catch up with the fleeing Prue and Piper.

"What guy?" Andy wondered. He scanned over the crowd but frankly there were so many people he had no idea who Paige was talking about.

Darryl ignored Paige's demand and decided she was probably as good as any of the other sisters. "Hey, Paige, what's going on with everything?" He questioned.

Paige was about to respond when the security bouncer grabbed her bag from her shoulder. "Hey, what are you doing?" She demanded, harshly pulling it back to her.

Darryl had his police mark out and forced the security bouncer back a step. "Answer the lady." He ordered harshly when the security guy didn't answer Paige.

"Weapons check." The security guy answered shortly as he forced open Paige's bag.

"There's nothing in this!" Paige insisted. Andy looked as if he was about to order the security bouncer away when Paige noticed the balloon as the bouncer reached for it. She deftly reached out to grab it the same time he did and the balloon popped, the potion seeping out over her over-skirt.

"What the hell is that?" Security asked.

Andy thrust his own police mark at the bouncer. "We got her, get back to your position." He returned and the security guy ruefully stalked away.

Darryl was staring at the spilled potion uncertainly. He opened his mouth to ask but closed it again, deciding he didn't really want to know. Paige was inwardly seething and she jabbed a finger in Prue and Piper's direction. "Go help her!" She snapped at them before stomping off to Phoebe.

Andy and Darryl just exchanged a glance to which Andy shrugged. "Not a clue." He admitted and followed Darryl to Prue and Piper.

~PO4~

Jenny moved around the edge of the crowd until she found a good view of the band. It just so happened to be next to Carlton, who couldn't believe his luck as he recognized her from the club earlier that day. "Hey there, Jenny." Carlton greeted. He waited until the surprised Jenny looked up at him. "Hello, I remember you. You're a friend of Piper Halliwell's, right?" He asked.

Jenny hesitated at being caught but figured he was safe to talk to sine he hadn't turned her in already. "And Phoebe and Paige and Prue." She agreed. "We're like sisters." Jenny explained, thinking that would keep her out of trouble.

"Listen, would you like to meet the band?" Carlton inquired.

Jenny's jaw dropped in surprise. "Are you serious? Man, I'd do anything to meet them." She exclaimed. She couldn't hide the grin that crossed her features at the thought.

Carlton smiled and gave her a slight nod to ensure her that he wasn't just joking. "Follow me." He told her, leading the way to the back area.

Phoebe froze when she saw Carlton leading Jenny away. She spun around, frantically searching for her sisters when Paige came running up. "Oh my god, Phoebe. I lost the potion!" Paige panicked.

"Carlton's taking Jenny!" Phoebe yelled over the music at the same time Paige freaked about the potion. "We're in trouble…" Phoebe mumbled after they stared at each other for a few moments in stunned silence.

"Prue and Piper, first?" Paige suggested.

"Yeah." Phoebe agreed and the two sisters took off to find the other two.

~PO4~

Prue finally pulled her and Piper to a stop after running out of room to keep going. She groaned and turned around about to pull Piper in another direction when she heard him.

"Hello, Prue." Mr. Barker greeted smugly while holding onto his date's hand.

"Hi, Mr. Barker." Prue returned sheepishly.

Piper sent Mr. Barker a curious look but otherwise ignored him. "Where are Phoebe and Paige?" She asked Prue, trying to search them out despite the crowd.

Mr. Barker pointed at Piper. "Let me guess. Piper Halliwell, right?"

Piper narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Yeah, who're you?" She wondered and then glanced at Prue, who obviously knew who he was. "Who is he?" She pressed. Piper sensed from Prue's reaction that she wasn't going to like it.

Prue opened her mouth to answer but Barker beat her to it. "The name's Chris Barker and I'm gonna be taking everything over from here on out." He explained, offering his hand to shake with Piper.

"Wait, what?" Piper demanded, her jaw dropping slightly. Needless to say, she ignored his outstretched hand.

"Prue, Piper, we've got to talk." Darryl stated after pushing past Barker without a second thought. Andy offered Barker a glare after he recognized the other man and Barker did the same. They seemed to be sizing each other up.

Piper barely cast Darryl a glance. "Not now." She replied.

"Andy!" Prue called, attempting to avoid a bar fight between her fiancé and Barker. She hastily ran forward and grabbed Andy's arm.

Mr. Barker seemed to realize what irked Andy and gave Prue an appraising look before addressing Piper. "I'd be willing to discuss you staying on. However, in a diminished capacity, of course." He offered.

Phoebe and Paige dashed up to the small group and stood between Prue and Piper. "Jenny's here with Carlton." Phoebe announced.

"What?" Prue demanded.

"Jenny's here?" Piper repeated in disbelief.

"And security busted the potion." Paige added, pointing down at her ruined over-skirt.

Glen walked up to join the sisters and eyed the rest of the group warily. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige looked close to panicking, Prue was struggling to keep up with their conversation and with Andy. Andy appeared as if he was losing patience with Barker and Darryl was obviously growing impatient as he also split his attention between the sisters and his partner. "Paige, what are you doing?" Glen asked, unable to see what was keeping her from him for so long.

"Uh…" Paige started but was cut off by Darryl growing fed up.

"Trudeau, get a hold of yourself." Darryl snapped, pointedly stepping between Andy and Barker. His gaze however rested on Piper. "This is important." He insisted.

Barker turned his attention to Darryl. "Yeah, wait in line, pal." He interrupted, pushing Darryl back.

Darryl pulled out his police mark and shoved it in Barker's face. "Hey, why don't you step to the back."

Paige threw her hands in the air. "Alright, you guys, this is getting ridiculous." She exclaimed. She spun and pointed at Glen, Darryl, and Andy. "You three wait here and don't move." She ordered and then glared at Mr. Barker. "Take a hike, buddy." Paige hissed.

Barker glared at Paige for trying to order him around. "Sorry, princess, but I own this place. I'm not go…"

"Not yet you don't." Andy interrupted.

"Paige…" Glen tried again to gain her attention while giving Barker an angry look for talking to her the way he had been.

Freeze them. Prue thought, abruptly dropping her mental barrier so that Piper jumped in surprise.

Piper, however, understood. "Alright, everybody hold it." She yelled and flicked her wrists. The entire club froze, Andy included as he hadn't been paying attention and wasn't prepared to absorb it.

Phoebe was the first to break the resulting silence as she saw Carlton and Jenny frozen just outside the door to the back. "Look." Phoebe pointed them out.

The three other sisters immediately obeyed. "Oh my god." Prue exclaimed when she saw them.

"Oh my god." Piper echoed and they all took off through the frozen crowd to try and get to Jenny and Carlton.

Halfway there, the club unfroze and Jenny and Carlton disappeared into the back while the sisters continued to race through the place. "Freeze them again." Phoebe ordered to Piper. They pulled to a stop so as not to run into the now moving people.

"They're through the door." Piper snapped. She pushed past her sisters and kept running after them.

Paige groaned at their luck. "Freeze this room anyway." She suggested, a plan forming in her head. Piper didn't wait to think about it and just did as she was told. Without a second to waste, Paige orbed out, hoping to be able to grab Jenny before Masselin got her.

"Oh! Oh! After her." Prue declared, picking up the pace.

"Damn it, Paige." Phoebe grumbled under her breath.

~PO4~

Carlton roughly threw Jenny into the back office and shut the door behind her. Jenny glared at the now shut door. "Hey!" She protested his roughness before taking in the room.

She heard creaking noises around her so Jenny spun in a circle looking for the culprit. "Hello?" Jenny called. Masselin appeared behind her and she let out a terrified scream as he advanced.

Bright lights lit up the room as Paige orbed in. "Jenny!" She yelled, reaching for the teenager but didn't make it as Masselin swallowed Jenny. Paige stared in stunned silence before cursing and orbing out just as Masselin turned to her.

~PO4~

"Move it! Move it!" Piper ordered to anyone that got in her way before she successfully made it through the back door.

"Wait. Hold it. Stop!" Prue called after her. Prue stopped quickly when Piper reluctantly turned back to face her.

Piper appeared slightly frustrated. "Jenny's in there!" She insisted, pointing frantically at the door.

"Yeah, but we can't kill Masselin without the potion." Prue pointed out.

"Well, we can't just stand here. She's gonna die!" Piper snapped.

Prue stepped up to Piper and took her hands and lowered her voice in a soothing manner. "Paige is already in there. If anyone's going to get Jenny before the demon, it's her. The best thing for them is to have a plan as soon as Paige gets back." Prue returned while pushing a strand of Piper's hair away from her sister's face.

Before anymore could be said, Carlton opened the door, only to find three of the sisters blocking his only way out. Quite frankly, none of them looked particularly happy with him.

Prue narrowed her eyes and Carlton was thrown back into the wall where he landed unceremoniously among some boxed items. Prue glared at him as she dropped down next to him. "Help us." She ordered.

"He'll kill me. He'll burn the flesh off my bones for all eternity." Carlton argued. He pushed as far back into the wall as he could to get away from them.

Piper was fed up. She leaned down over him, her eyes threatening. "Listen up, skid mark. You tell us how to save Jenny and get Elvis out of the building or spending an eternity in hell is gonna be the least of your worries." She promised him.

"There's nothing you can do." Carlton answered.

"We can break the pact and free you from Masselin." Prue promised.

Paige orbed in behind them, causing Carlton to jump from his position on the floor. "Do we have a plan?" She demanded as soon as she was corporeal.

Piper looked back at her hopefully but Jenny was obviously not with her. "We're about to." Piper replied, turning her withering gaze back to Carlton.

"Believe me, if I could help you, I would. But if you go in there he's gonna swallow you whole and you'll still be alive." Carlton warned.

Piper thought about that a moment. "That's not a bad idea." She decided.

"Huh?" Phoebe asked, looking at a disbelieving Prue and a just-as-confused Paige.

Piper spun to face Paige. "Where's the demon?" Piper questioned emotionlessly.

Paige pointed behind her to the office door. "He's inside. He comes from the walls." She explained hesitantly.

"I got a plan." Piper announced without a moment to spare. Paige tilted her head to the side, Phoebe raised an eyebrow, Prue just shook her head in disbelief. "We get eaten." She finished.

Phoebe's jaw dropped. "I'm sorry, we get what?" Phoebe repeated as a question.

"And once we're inside, Prue, you use your power to blow him up." Piper continued as if Phoebe hadn't spoken. She glanced back at Paige. "Or Paige can orb us out." She added as an afterthought.

"From the inside?" Prue asked for clarification. Even though it wasn't all that necessary.

"Mm hmm…" Piper agreed.

Phoebe shook her head hastily. "Who's to say that we won't lose our powers once we get in there? Maybe that's exactly what he wants." She pointed out.

"In that case, I hope Andy's smart enough not to get himself eaten trying to get us out." Paige commented in an attempt to lighten the mood.

It went unappreciated as Prue frowned at the very thought. She decided to ignore it and respond to Phoebe's remark. "Yeah, well, we don't really have a choice, Phoebe. The poison pill is gone." Prue argued her logic.

Phoebe's gaze shifted to Paige's over-skirt. "Is it?" She wondered, pointing down at the large stain. A plan formed in her head that she personally thought was better than Piper's.

"Back up." She ordered suddenly.

"Phoebe, what are you…" Piper started as she backed away from the door as her sister had asked.

Without waiting to answer, Phoebe kicked the door so that it flew open and led the way inside. Paige was right behind her and Piper and Prue quickly followed as they figured out what she was thinking. Masselin appeared from the wall and pulled his cloak back to reveal the tortured innocents. "It's time to join your friends, witches." Masselin stated.

The sisters stared in disbelief and disgust as they could see Jenny inside the demon. Masselin advanced on them the same moment Prue followed Phoebe's gaze to Paige's overskirt.

She waved her hand, telekinetically pulling the over-skirt off and threw it into Masselin. Masselin writhed in agony as his flesh began to stretch because of the potion.

Mr. Barker rounded the corner, having come to investigate what the sisters were up to and then hearing the noise as the demon stand-off took place. "What is going on back here?" He demanded but then froze where he stood. His jaw dropped as he stared at Masselin.

Masselin's skin finally stretched to the breaking point and he exploded. Green demon goo splattered through the room. Paige orbed her and her sisters out so that it flew through them while Barker wasn't so lucky. The impact of it all hitting him, sent him flying back out of the room and covered with the stuff. The innocents were left safely on the floor.

Andy ran into the back and paused upon seeing Barker covered in green goo but didn't spare him a minute as he ran into the office. "Prue?" He called and then sighed in relief as he saw all four Halliwell sisters seemingly okay. Not to mention the innocents. "Everyone okay?" He asked, much calmer than he had been a moment previous.

"No worries. We're fine, Andy." Phoebe assured him.

Piper and Prue were busy running over to help Jenny. "Jenny! We gotta get her home." Piper stated worriedly. Together they pulled the disoriented teenager to her feet. Paige offered her hand to a couple of the other victims. The sisters ushered all the innocents toward the door where Andy waited.

Darryl came to stand next to his partner. "Prue, what's going on here? Someone wanna clue me in?" Darryl pressed despite the nervous looks he sent at the green goo.

"You guys are arresting a kidnapper." Prue answered, grabbing Carlton less than gently and thrusting him at Andy. Andy immediately pulled his handcuffs out and pulled Carlton's wrists behind him.

"And rescuing his victims." Phoebe added as the innocents filed out and stood around Darryl with uncertain looks around them. Phoebe patted Darryl lightly on the chest in congratulations. "Good job."

Darryl glanced at Prue and his partner. "Trust me. That's all you wanna know." Prue insisted.

"Maybe you could get them a cup of coffee." Paige suggested while pointing to all the shaken victims.

"I guess that's all I need to know." Darryl decided to himself before nodding to Paige. "I'll see what I can do." He agreed. He ushered the women out of the now-crowded backstage area.

"This should look good on the old record." Andy offered lightly to which Darryl could only chuckle in agreement. Andy pushed Carlton out after the women.

Prue let everyone pass so that she was left alone with Barker. She kneeled down next to him and he looked up at her with a stunned expression as he looked at the goo that covered him. "Mr. Barker…. Here's what you need to know. This place is ours. The ups, the downs, the good, and especially the bad. It's all ours. Now, if you ever bother us again, you won't have to ask if I'm threatening you. Are we clear?" She warned with a note of finality in her voice. Mr. Barker could only nod a little in acknowledgement after the display of magic that he had just seen. "Good." Prue stated. She offered him a nod before she hurried out after everyone else.

~PO4~

Glen smirked and laid down his cards for the final hand against Phoebe. Phoebe's jaw dropped and she stared at him silently, effectively allowing Glen's smile to grow. "A straight flush? You have to be kidding." She exclaimed. He shook his head and Phoebe threw her cards on the table with a huff. "You cheated." Phoebe accused.

"Actually he did." Paige announced with a soft laugh.

"Paige." Glen whined, lightly punching her on the arm for betraying him.

Phoebe glared playfully at him. "I knew it. I would have beat you!"

"But you didn't. So I'm still undefeated." Glen returned with an air of confidence.

Paige rolled her eyes and grabbed Glen's hand. "Come on, let's go dance. It's not like you get to see Dishwalla every day." She pressed.

Phoebe gave Glen one more mock glare before following Glen and Paige onto the floor. Phoebe veered away from them and joined Prue and Piper at the front while Glen and Paige danced together among the crowd. Sometime during the night, Andy got off work and stole Prue away to the dance floor. By the end, all four sisters and Andy and Glen had retreated to table where they laughed, drank, and enjoyed the Dishwalla performance to the very end.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Piper was seated at one of the tables in the Solarium where all the expenses were laid out. She pulled the last check to her and signed her name before leaning back with a sigh of relief.

"Paying bills?" Prue guessed, joining her at the table with a cup of coffee. Phoebe skipped after Prue and dropped into the seat next to her and Paige took the last seat at the table.

Piper smiled at them and nodded. "Every last one. For this month at least." She agreed.

"Thanks to Leo." Phoebe couldn't help but point out. Piper narrowed her eyes dangerously in Phoebe's direction. "Well, technically if it wasn't for him, you would've never landed Dishwalla." Phoebe argued against Piper's silent anger.

"I suppose." Piper allowed, albeit grudgingly. "And technically, if we hadn't vanquished a demon, your client, Chris Barker, wouldn't have abandoned his hostile takeover." She continued, putting her sisters on the defensive this time. Prue avoided eye contact by looking sheepishly down at the table, Phoebe wrinkled her nose at being caught, and Paige just guiltily bit her lip. "The bank called and told me Mr. Barker didn't have the stomach for gruesome stage theatrics. He's withdrawing his offer." Piper explained.

"Well, that's kinda good, even though, I'll have you know, I would have personally made sure he couldn't steal the club had he not withdrawn." Paige offered

Prue nodded enthusiastically in agreement but she stopped upon catching Piper's eye. "I'm sorry." She apologized sincerely.

"He was just supposed to help. We didn't expect a double cross." Phoebe insisted.

"It's okay. I mean, I understand why you didn't want to hurt my feelings but you could have just told me the truth." Piper scolded with a pointed glance at Prue.

Prue put on her best puppy face. "I said I was sorry." She mumbled dejectedly in her cutesy voice.

"We're sorry." Phoebe repeated.

"Very." Paige added for good measure.

Piper smiled slightly though it was kind of sad. "It's just dawning on me that personal relationships and business don't mix well at all." She admitted.

Paige frowned, inwardly debating whether to speak or stay quiet. "Piper…" She paused and waited until Piper looked up at her. Prue and Phoebe were waiting curiously now too.

"What about Leo?" Paige asked.

"I just need to talk to him." Piper answered cryptically. "Figure some stuff out but I don't know yet." She went on. The doorbell rang and Piper stood up from her chair. "I got it." She offered, heading for the front door.

Prue waited until Piper was out of hearing range before she glanced over at Phoebe and Paige. "Why were you guys trying to blame it all on me?" She questioned in a dramatically hurt voice.

~PO4~

Piper pulled the front door open. She had a fleeting thought that she seemed to do this a lot but as soon as she saw Leo, her thoughts were in disarray.

"Hi." Leo greeted warily, unsure whether she was still mad at him.

Piper leaned against the door and offered him a slight smile. "Hi." She echoed. She pulled the door open farther, silently inviting him inside.

Leo returned her faint smile. "Uh, thanks. For everything." He appreciated.

"Just doing my job." She assured him. Piper appeared apologetic as soon as those words left her mouth. "Do you wanna come in? Sit down?" She offered half-hopefully.

"I'd love to." Leo admitted but his tone of voice conveyed that he couldn't.

"But you can't." Piper finished. She nodded understandably before speaking again in order to avoid an awkward silence. "We got Jenny home safe. Dan doesn't know she was at the club, but are you sure she won't remember anything?" Piper pressed.

Leo nodded confidently. "I took care of it with a little Hocus-Pocus." Leo promised her.

Piper looked relieved before eyeing Leo curiously. "So you erase memories now?" She asked.

"No, I make pain go away. When I can… sometimes, I can't, no matter how hard I try." Leo corrected, sounding upset that at times he was unable to help.

Piper hesitated a smile gracing her features, knowing that he cared so much. "And Masselin's other victims?" She steered the conversation to something more neutral than her thoughts at the moment.

"They'll be fine. No memories of Masselin or Carlton." He assured her.

"Good." Piper whispered.

They fell silent, Piper looking anywhere than at Leo while Leo watched Piper uncertainly. Leo was the one to break the silence. "Piper, did you mean what you said?" Leo inquired.

Piper tilted her head the side. "When?"

"Couple of months ago, when I almost died and you saved my life. Right before… right before I was captured. I left and you said… that you loved me." Leo clarified, nervously awaiting her answer.

Piper appeared a little surprised. "I thought you were gone." She pointed out.

Leo smiled sheepishly. "Well, sometimes I linger." He admitted. His smile faded quickly as he listened for an answer. "Did you mean it?" Leo repeated.

"Yeah, I meant it." Piper answered. She couldn't help herself, after a moment she laughed softly. "You… you linger?" Piper emphasized in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Leo ignored her question. "What about now?" He wondered.

Piper sighed and nodded again. "I still mean it…" She trailed off.

"But…" Leo pressed.

"But we can't keep doing this. I can't keep doing this. I feel like all I've done is wait around for you to show up. For the longest time, you didn't…" She started. Leo opened his mouth to object but she held a hand out to silence him. "… I know it wasn't your fault now but they took advantage of it. And then when you show up now… it's just never quite right." Piper explained softly.

"Well, I'm just… I'm doing what I thought you wanted me to do, Piper. You're the one who didn't want me to clip my wings." Leo pointed out.

Piper closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Leo. "And you shouldn't. Not for me." She insisted and then let out a sigh. "But that doesn't make it any easier for us." Piper continued.

"What are we gonna do?" Leo asked dejectedly.

Piper shook her head slowly. "I don't know, Leo." She admitted softly. Leo fell silent as he heard the jingle that told him the Elders were calling for him. Piper seemed to sense his attention change. "Go, its okay. I understand." She promised.

Leo leaned forward and kissed her gently before reluctantly pulling away. "I'll see you." He whispered. Piper nodded to him and Leo orbed out.

Piper stared at the place where he had been for several moments after he had gone. Deciding that she wasn't ready to face her sisters and their pestering questions, she went outside for some air. Piper allowed her gaze to stray over her neighborhood and she saw Dan getting his mail from his mailbox. He looked up at that moment and their eyes met. She waved slightly and he smiled and waved back. Piper smirked to herself and walked out of his sight toward her door. She gave him a few moments to go inside before racing out across the porch and peeking at him one last time as the door shut. She nodded to herself and retreated inside.


	7. She's a Man, Baby, a Man Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I just wanted to start off saying that I love the reviews. 
> 
> This episode was kind of difficult for me to write in more ways than one and you'll see when you read it why. Feedback on whether anything needs clarification is always welcome.

She's a Man, Baby, a Man

An Abandoned Street

Andy flew through the air, several feet down the street, before he landed unceremoniously on the warm cobbled ground. He groaned upon hearing Prue's unabashed laughter and he forced himself to his feet. He met her gaze in an attempt to salvage any dignity he had left. Even from this distance and the dim lighting (it was past midnight already) of the street lamps, he could see her wide grin.

"Come on, Andy? What was that?" Prue teased. Her laughter had softened so it was now more of a giggle.

Andy frowned and rolled his eyes. He should have known that she'd play dirty and hit him with her telekinesis before he was even in position. "A miscalculation." Andy answered.

Prue smiled innocently and batted her eyelashes. "I love you." She called in her cutesy voice.

"Love you too." Andy repeated, offering her a dashing smile of his own. However, this time he didn't take his eyes from her as he slowly approached his position. Prue nodded, seemingly satisfied, and threw her hand out at him. Andy felt his arm go numb for a split moment and he was pushed back a step but managed to absorb the majority of her telekinetic blast… unlike the previous time. Without a moment to spare, he sent it back at her, hoping to catch her off guard.

Prue just barely dodged to the side as the empty crates behind her were thrown into the wall of a building where they shattered against the force. "That was close." Prue admitted, eyeing the broken pieces of wood. Andy smirked at her inattention and orbed out. Prue didn't even notice he was gone until she turned to resume their practice and he wasn't anywhere near his position.

Andy orbed in behind her. She had just placed her hands on her hips, a sure sign that she was calculating his disappearance, when he grabbed her from behind. He covered her mouth so that when she yelped it was muffled and then carefully led her to the wall of another building. His arm went numb several times as she threw weak telekinetic blasts at him but she never could get a good throw at him the way he had her. "So do I get anything for winning this round?" Andy whispered seductively in her ear. He felt her shiver slightly at their close proximity as he spun her to face him.

She leaned against the wall and tried to keep her mind focused on their task… not her hormones. Needless to say, it was a losing battle. "We're supposed to be practicing." Prue pointed out but it was a half-hearted attempt as Andy kissed a particularly sensitive spot at the base of her neck.

"Hmm… I've got a better idea." Andy countered lightly, pulling back so that he could see her face. His hands ran lightly down her back and he flashed her another grin. "I put a portable air conditioner in our room. It should be cool by now." He added as an extra perk.

"But…" Prue started but trailed off. Who was she kidding? She didn't want to practice either. Not in this heat. It was close to midnight, she was wearing about as little as socially acceptable, and she was still burning up. Stupid heat wave. Not to mention him. Damn him. He always knew how to make her cave. Prue gathered the collar of Andy's shirt and pulled him down until their lips met. He pressed her up against the wall as the kiss deepened. She suddenly felt weightless and instantly knew Andy had orbed them out of the empty street.

~PO4~

P4

Phoebe slowly dragged herself to the bar where Piper was working. She had a newspaper in her hand that she used to fan herself with but it did little to relieve the sweltering heat. "Oh, I cannot believe this heat wave. It's two a.m." She groaned while sliding into a seat across from Piper. "How can it be so hot when there's no sun?" Phoebe asked rhetorically.

Piper smiled from where she stood behind the cash register. She was using money as a make-shift fan for herself. "Tell me about it. The Cranberries are playing an animal right benefit in here on Saturday and it's gonna be a million degrees in here." Piper agreed. She narrowed her eyes slightly as Phoebe leaned over the bar and grabbed an ice cube. Her younger sister then proceeded to rub it along her neck. Piper dropped the money back into the cash register and closed it before turning back to Phoebe. "Uh, Phoebe, you keep making like you're on red shoes diaries and I'm gonna have to bust out a can of man repellant." She pointed out with a glance at two of her workers that were staring at Phoebe  
none-too-subtly. "Alright, people, move along. Nothing to see here. Go on." Piper ordered, waving her hand at the two guys for them to get back to work. Phoebe just smirked at the attention and Piper turned her gaze back to Phoebe.   
"Goodness, am I gonna have to hose you down?" She joked.

"It's not my fault. I am in a highly excited state right now." Phoebe explained, leaning forward slightly for emphasis. Piper narrowed her eyes as Phoebe continued. "Not that I'd mind being hosed down with water. I feel like I'm on fire. Feel my forehead."

Piper placed the back of her hand against Phoebe's forehead before giving her a concerned look. "Phoebe, you're burning up." She stated, worry evident in her tone.

"I know. Tell me about it. Something's happening to me, Piper. Something really freaky." Phoebe insisted.

"Sweetie, I think you need to call a doctor." Piper suggested. She pulled out a hand towel from the ice bucket and walked around the bar to give to her sister.

Phoebe shook her head slightly. "But I-I- I don't feel sick." Phoebe argued, gratefully taking the ice cold towel and placing it against her head. "I just… I feel- I feel hot, aroused." She tried and then frowned at the memory of her recent dreams. Piper was staring at her funny but proceeded to fan her with the newspaper. "Uh, I've been having this dream, Piper. This… sex dream. It's not like I haven't dreamt of sex before because I have, you know, but this… this is different. This feels real. Swank penthouse love den, candles, satin sheets." Phoebe described.

"Okey dokey, I get the point." Piper interrupted before she got too much information that she didn't want to hear.

"But every night it's with a different man… telling me that I'm irresistible and then we…" Phoebe trailed off, unwilling to actually say it. "… Well, let's just say we could win the golden medal in the Hugh Hefner Olympics." She offered with a sheepish smile.

"And this is a bad thing?" Piper inquired curiously.

"No, it's a good thing. It's a very good thing until I kill them." Phoebe admitted.

Piper bit her lip, attempting not to laugh at the dream. "That's how your dreams end? You kill the guy?" She asked in disbelief.

"Each and every night, Piper. I told you. Something is wrong with me." Phoebe reiterated with a sigh.

Piper rolled her eyes slightly. "There's nothing wrong with you. It's a dream. A metaphor for extreme sexual frustration. Trust me, I should know." Piper soothed.

Paige irritably dropped into the chair on the other side of Phoebe. "Ugh, no guy talk, please." Paige grumbled, throwing her purse down on the bar.

"I thought you were on a date." Phoebe stated with a curious glance in her little sister's direction.

"Yeah, I thought I was too." Paige admitted. She didn't appear as if she was going to say anymore but Piper and Phoebe stared at her, silently begging for the gossip. Paige slammed her hand on the bar and turned in her seat to face them. "Alright, here's the deal. One minute we're enjoying dinner, the next some blonde bimbo saunters up and Glen was totally all over her. She's not even his type. I mean, she's blonde." Paige explained, successfully creating more questions.

"Oh, honey, I'm sure it was just a little flirting. Guys just can't help themselves sometimes." Piper offered sympathetically.

Paige sighed loudly. "I just- I just don't see what guys see in them. I mean, sure, they have the looks, the bodies, etc, but… and I know this is gonna sound pathetic but, what about commitment? You can't have a real relationship without at least a smidgen of commitment. And paying someone doesn't count as real commitment." She ranted.

"If we could understand that, guy problems would be virtually nonexistent." Piper pointed out mildly. "Look, I'm sure Glen didn't mean anything by it. You know how much you two mean to each other." She added when Paige didn't appear to feel any better.

"Well, maybe, all he wants is to be friends. I mean, why else would we not work out?" Paige countered. She continued before Piper or Phoebe could say anything. "Whatever, I guess he can have his night with the blonde." Paige muttered under her breath.

Phoebe tilted her head to the side curiously. "What does that mean?" She wondered and then glanced at Piper. "What does she mean?" She repeated.

Paige shrugged to herself. "I said I was going to the bathroom and then orbed out from there." She replied, earning wide eyes from her sisters.

Piper dropped her head into her hands. "Oh, Paige, that's not going to help any."

"Okay, that's enough men talk for me!" Phoebe interrupted before another conversation could start regarding Glen and Paige. "I need to go home and take a long, cold shower and have a good night's sleep. I hope." Phoebe added, standing up from her seat at the bar.

Piper smiled slightly at her younger sister's expense. "Sweet dreams. Don't kill anybody." She teased. Phoebe just waved her hand to show she'd heard. "Oh! And use the downstairs bathroom!" Piper called after the departing Phoebe.

"She still having those crazy dreams?" Paige guessed.

"Yep." Piper answered with a short nod.

There was short but comfortable silence between the two. "What's wrong with the upstairs bathroom?" Paige finally asked.

"Well, we're missing a sister and her fiancé. I wouldn't want to risk it if I was Phoebe." Piper explained with a giggle.

"Oh… right." Paige agreed, smirking at the thought. "You shouldn't have told her. That would be priceless." She la

~PO4~

Berkeley College

Paige was just exiting her first class of the day and was on her way to the student center for a break until her next class. She tightened her grip on her bag so that it wouldn't slip off her shoulder and surveyed the hallways. Everywhere she looked, she saw people with large bottles of ice cold water or makeshift fans to guard against the heat, but what really got to her were the number of couples. She had to remind herself that it was a college but it really didn't help in the face of her Glen issues. Glen… ugh, she could even hear his voice saying her name. Maybe she was going crazy. At least that was her thought until she realized he really was calling her name.

"Glen?" She asked in surprise upon seeing him hurry down the hallway to her. Paige didn't know how she had missed him until now.

"Paige, hey, where'd you go last night?" Glen wondered, smiling that brilliant white smile of his that always left Paige a little starry-eyed.

Paige met his gaze despite the danger of losing her thoughts. She couldn't help but notice that he didn't seem upset that she had gone. Most people would find that as a nice trait to have in a boyfriend but knowing Glen as long as she had made her ponder where they stood in their relationship. "I… something came up. Phoebe was rather sick. Very sudden." She explained. It wasn't a complete lie.

"Oh… Is she feeling better?" He inquired.

Paige shrugged slightly. "I had to leave this morning before she got up. Piper's home with her right now." She replied, turning her gaze to the other people around them but subtly watching Glen from the corner of her eyes.

Glen just nodded. "Well, I just stopped by to tell you that I'm going on a two-day hike. Leaving tomorrow so I've gotta pack today but maybe I can hit P4 tonight." He offered hopefully.

"Sure." Paige allowed. Glen was eyeing her kind of funny but eventually decided that was all he was going to get. He started to back away with a wave of his hand. "Uh, Glen? Can I ask you something?" She called, stopping him in his tracks.

Glen actually looked relieved. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Can I come hiking too?" She asked, tilting her head the side and smiling at him flirtatiously.

"Um, I'll, uh, have to ask the people I'm going with." Glen mumbled hastily. He started to back away quicker now. "I'll call you." He offered before leaving without waiting for an answer from Paige.

Paige wrinkled her nose at his phrase. "Damn the kiss of death." She hissed under her breath and then stalked off to the student center. Maybe she could look in the Book of Shadows for something to help her with her guy problems. At least it was a thought.

~PO4~

Bucklands Auction House

Prue hastened into her office, late as usual, and dropped her purse on her desk. She dug through it and finally located her make-up. She ran to the mirror that decorated one of her walls and began to apply foundation, eye-liner, mascara, eye shadow, lipstick etc… everything she needed. Prue had just finished when Darryl knocked on her door and walked inside without waiting for her to respond.

Darryl looked surprised not to find her at her desk already but his eyes lit with realization when he saw the make-up items on the decorative table next to the mirror. "It's a little early to have to redo your make-up, isn't it?" He joked.

"I'm not redoing it. I just didn't have time this morning to start." Prue explained with a glare back at Darryl.

"Funny, Andy was late this morning too." Darryl stated. He cast her a knowing look.

Prue gathered all her make-up in her hands and added it to everything on her desk. A faint blush crossed her face at Darryl's insinuation. "Can I help you, Darryl?" Prue changed the subject. "Where's Andy anyways?" Prue added as he obviously wasn't here with Darryl.

"I would have thought you'd be tired of him by now…" Darryl trailed off when Prue gave him a look that told him to get to the point. He almost laughed at her expression. "… I sent him to the Coroner for the reason I stopped by to see you." He explained, suddenly more serious. "Four men have been killed over the last four nights. Ever since this heat wave started. We think the murders are gonna continue but we don't have any suspects."

Prue carefully avoided eye contact, instead keeping herself busy by throwing her make-up back in her purse. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." She offered, biting her lip slightly.

Darryl nodded as if he expected that response. "Look, remember our little agreement to communicate?" He prompted, waving his hand between them. Prue nodded reluctantly and started to say something but Darryl interrupted. "Listen, I know I'm not Andy so you can't tell me everything. Personally, I don't want you tell me everything, but if anything in any way can help stop this…" He tossed a folder on Prue's desk for her to look over.

Prue flipped it open and stared at the pictures in disbelief. "Oh my god… what happened to them?" She asked as she scanned over each picture of several different men.

"Severe cerebral trauma. Although the medical examiner can't figure out exactly how. He also can't figure out how all of the men were drained of their testosterone. That's not something you find every day." Darryl admitted, watching Prue's face closely. Prue nodded slightly in agreement to his last comment. "We need help on this one, Prue. The kind of help I think only you can provide." He continued.

"Do the victims have anything else in common?" Prue questioned after another moment of hesitation.

"They were each members of a dating service called 'Fine Romance.' We've already got the place staked out but they've got too many clients for us to watch and too many potential suspects for us to track." Darryl answered. Prue had just closed the folder with the pictures inside and listened intently to Darryl. "If the pattern continues, somebody's gonna die tonight. I know it and I can't stop it."

"I'll see what I can do." Prue promised.

Conflicted emotions crossed Darryl's features for a split moment. "I don't want you to get hurt. Find out what you can, slip it to me, slip it to Andy." He suggested. He slowly stood up from his seat across from Prue. "The brass is watching us on this one. This can't turn out be another unexplained case." Darryl added. He paused outside the door and glanced back over his shoulder. "Call Andy when you can and see if the Coroner found any new information." Darryl advised before leaving the room.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Phoebe was sprawled along the couch with a small electronic fan blowing at top speed on her. Piper came in from the kitchen with a tray of juice that she sat down next to her little sister.

"I'm telling you, Piper, last night's dream was no dream. Or premonition even. It was real. I felt it." Phoebe insisted. She leaned forward for emphasis… or maybe it was just to grab the cup of juice that she then rubbed against her forehead and neck. "I was so turned on and then… and then… I killed him." She finished, finally taking a sip of the drink.

Piper looked frustrated as she attempted to use a hand-held fan to cool herself off. "Phoebe, you didn't kill anyone." She tried again.

"I could feel his body shake uncontrollably beneath mine." Phoebe countered.

"Now you're just making me sick." Piper stated with a face that clearly said 'too much information'.

"How do you think I feel? I'm living it. I can still taste his blood…" Phoebe stopped abruptly as Piper shoved the thermometer in Phoebe's mouth.

Piper looked mildly disgusted. "Okay." She decided, effectively ending that conversation. At least she hoped.

"Is anybody home?" Prue called from the foyer.

Piper appeared surprised upon hearing her eldest sister's voice. "Uh, in here." Piper yelled. She narrowed her eyes slightly when Prue came in. "It's not lunch yet. What are you doing home?" She asked.

"Morris came to visit." Prue explained and then paused as she saw Phoebe. "Pheebs, are you okay?" Prue questioned.

Phoebe replaced the cup of juice back on the table. "I'm so hot." She admitted. Prue walked to her and placed the back of her hand against Phoebe's forehead just as the thermometer beeped. Phoebe took it out and read her temperature. "100.5 degrees hot." She corrected her former statement.

Piper snatched the thermometer from Phoebe's hand and gave Prue a frustrated look. "But she won't go see a doctor." She sighed and turned her attention to what Prue was doing home. "What did Morris want?" Piper wondered.

"Help." Prue answered. "Paige!" She yelled to ceiling. She didn't want to start explaining until they were all here.

The three sisters had to wait almost five minutes before Paige orbed into the conservatory. "This has to be quick because my class starts in ten minutes." Paige announced as soon as she was fully corporeal.

"We have a problem." Prue stated, passing Piper the folder of pictures.

Paige frowned and ran around the couch so that she could look over Piper's shoulder at whatever the problem was this time. "Oh!" Piper exclaimed, unable to hide her surprise.

Phoebe, who was also watching over Piper's arms, sat up hastily and snatched the folder and pictures from Piper's hands. "Oh my god! It's the guys. All of them!"

"The guys from your dreams?" Paige asked in confusion.

Piper shook her head quickly while Prue narrowed her eyes in thought. "Phoebe, you were dreaming." Piper insisted.

"Of each and every one of the victims? I don't think so." Phoebe snapped. "I could see them with my own eyes. Feel every touch, smell every smell." She continued on the verge of panicking.

"How long have you had this feeling?" Prue questioned purposely.

Phoebe took a moment to think back. "The last four nights." She answered.

"Since the murders began." Prue realized.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Prue, you don't seriously think Phoebe's killing guys in her sleep, do you?" She interrupted.

Prue started to respond but Phoebe beat her to it. "This is no coincidence." Phoebe argued.

"Well, maybe your powers are growing. Maybe you can get premonitions in your sleep now." Piper suggested.

"Or maybe you're just psychically linked to the demon on its wavelength or something." Prue added thoughtfully.

Phoebe didn't appear convinced in the slightest. "Or maybe I'm the killer." She retorted, her eyes flickering from one sister to the next. "Come on, guys. It's not like there's no precedent. Piper turned into a werewolf once, remember?" Phoebe pointed out with a wave of her hand in Piper's direction.

"A wendigo." Piper corrected in a know-it-all voice.

"Whatever." Phoebe imitated Piper's voice.

"Hey, no fighting." Paige ordered with a warning glare between Piper and Phoebe.

Prue gave Paige a slight nod of approval before taking Phoebe's hand and gaining her sister's attention. "Look, if you are psychically connected, maybe you can go to the dating service, touch some of the tapes of the potential suspects, see if you can get a psychic flash." Prue offered.

"It's worth a shot." Piper agreed. "I'll stay here and see if I can find anything in the Book of Shadows." She decided, earning a nod from Prue.

Paige nodded in agreement. "I'd like to come, but I have class. As soon as I finish I'll just help Piper so you guys don't have to wait on me."

Phoebe was staring at each of her sisters in disbelief. "I'm sorry. Wait a minute…" She called so that Piper stopped from walking away and Paige hesitated orbing out. "I tell you that maybe I'm some kind of man-killing demon and you want me to go to bachelor central?" She exclaimed.

Prue sighed softly. "Phoebe, we have to do something. Otherwise, someone else is going to die tonight." Prue stated and Phoebe groaned but agreed to the plan.

~PO4~

"Fine Romance" Dating Service

Andy, Darryl, and their temporary rookie partner, Smith, watched the entrance of the dating service from their car. Andy and Darryl looked bored while Smith was having the time of his life taking pictures of women that walked by. Smith unknowingly zeroed the camera in on Prue and Phoebe as they came down the street.

"Oh, man. Look at the racks on those babes, huh?" He laughed, taking picture after picture.

Andy and Darryl followed his gaze to Prue and Phoebe. Andy turned red and looked as if he wanted to strangle Smith but he firmly kept his hands on the seat. Instead, he lowered his voice and spoke to Darryl. "Prue and Phoebe are going in." He announced, mostly to keep his mind off of Smith, who was still taking pictures of the two sisters.

Darryl nodded slightly. "Here's to luck." He muttered before losing his patience with Smith just as Andy obviously was. "Just do your job, Smith, okay?" He snapped.

"I am doing my job, Morris. I'm taking pictures of potential suspects and if you ask me, those two suspects got a lot of potential." Smith insisted. His gaze followed the sisters as they walked past.

"That's it. It's my turn to take pictures." Andy growled while snatching the camera from Smith's hands.

~PO4~

Prue and Phoebe hadn't even managed to take three steps through the front door before they were approached by an employee.

"Hi, welcome to Fine Romance. I'm Darla. How can I help you?" She asked them.

The sisters were quick to notice that Darla had many admirers from the men crowding around the room and that the blonde employee stood as if she was modeling for them. Prue and Phoebe exchanged a glance before Phoebe pushed Prue slightly forward. "My sister, Prue, would like to sign up." Phoebe answered with a false smile at Darla.

Prue turned to face Phoebe in surprise. "I would?" She questioned under her breath.

"Yes, you would while I look around." Phoebe insisted without looking at Prue.

Prue grimaced but quickly turned it to a smile. "Right." She agreed and then reluctantly let Phoebe leave her with Darla. She ran a hand through her hair to hide her frustration.

Darla took hold of Prue's arm and pulled her toward her desk. "Well, Prue, today is your lucky day because we are running a special. One year, unlimited access to our internet and video library with a money-back guarantee for only $3500." She announced excitedly.

Prue's jaw dropped at that price. "3500 bucks? Okay, I could buy a man for that." Prue pointed out in disbelief.

"Oh, I can always tell the frustrated ones. You've been having man trouble lately, haven't you?" Darla guessed in a sympathetic tone. Prue looked offended and had to fight off the urge to throw her engagement ring in Darla's face.

~PO4~

Phoebe walked hesitantly through the hallways, touching random stuff to try and trigger a premonition. She turned out of the way as someone went past her and she accidently backed into a man that was coming from recording his personality.

"Oh! Oh!" Phoebe exclaimed, attempting to string the words to an apology together.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The man that she had hit apologized repeatedly.

"Oh, sorry… I-I didn't see you." Phoebe admitted, smiling slightly as she took a moment to check him out.

The man didn't answer immediately as he was doing the same thing Phoebe was. "It's not a problem. It's not a problem at all." He finally managed to assure her.

Phoebe smiled awkwardly and couldn't think of anything else to say. "Uh… Uh, do you work here?" Phoebe asked.

He laughed softly. "No, actually, I just signed up." He explained, pointing behind him to the room he had just left.

Phoebe couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "Really?" She pressed.

"Yeah…" The man answered, a little embarrassed.

Phoebe hastily jumped to clarify that she wasn't making fun of him. "I mean, it's just that… you don't look like you'd have trouble finding a date."

"Ditto." He returned with a smile. He paused and realized he hadn't introduced himself. "Oh, um, I'm Owen. Owen Grant." He held his hand out for her to shake.

"Phoebe." Phoebe introduced herself and gladly shook his hand. As soon as she touched him, she was pulled into a premonition that showed he was the next victim. She watched as his face changed to one of concern as the premonition ended. "Uh, uh, I have to go." Phoebe announced suddenly. "Okay? I'm sorry. Excuse me." She mumbled, spinning around and racing down the hall.

"But, Phoebe…" Owen called after her.

Phoebe glanced over her shoulder. "Sorry." She apologized without stopping.

~PO4~

"Congratulations, Prue, your days of having trouble with men are over." Darla exclaimed while checking over the check Prue had written. "See you at tonight's mixer?" She suggested as much as asked.

Prue laughed at the situation she found herself in. "Okay, you know, for your information, I do not have man troubles. Financial ones, now, yes, but definitely not any man troubles." Prue ranted as Phoebe ran up to her.

"We're out of here." Phoebe insisted.

"She… you…" Prue stammered, pointing between Darla and Phoebe.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and starting pulling Prue toward the door. "Okay, it's okay. It's alright."

"I don't, honestly." Prue called over her shoulder. She glared at Phoebe. "Tell her." She ordered.

"She doesn't!" Phoebe yelled across the room, offering Darla a last wave.

Prue and Phoebe ran into Andy just before walking within view of the front door. "Andy! Do I have man trouble?" Prue demanded as soon as she saw him.

Andy raised an eyebrow at her raised temper. "I don't know, do you?" He repeated, uncertain what the right answer was.

"Of course I don't! I'm engaged to you, aren't I?" Prue pressed with a glare back in the direction of Darla.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Prue, drop it." She ordered and then glanced at Andy. "What's up?"

"Darryl and I think we might have a plan that will help you guys." Andy explained, his eyes flickering to Prue pointedly.

Phoebe nodded and pushed Prue at Andy. "Take her. I'll go fill Piper and Paige in." She decided. She grabbed Prue's car keys from her hand and left for the car.

Prue tilted her head to the side curiously. "I thought you had some rookie guy with you this time." She pointed out, thinking that they really shouldn't be too suspicious around him.

"We told him I'm undercover while Darryl drove them back to the station. We're meeting him there without Smith." Andy answered and then orbed them out.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Piper stood at the window with her little fan and watched as Dan washed his car. She had to admit that she was impressed that he was able to work in this heat.

"Piper?" Paige's voice jolted Piper out of her reverie and actually caused Piper to jump in surprise. "Have you heard anything that I've said?" She asked, standing up and stalking over to the window. She looked out to see what Piper was looking at. "Or have you only been stalking Dan?" Paige finished, hands on hips, although there was a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"We've already found what we're looking for. I can stalk Dan if I want." Piper retorted only glancing at Paige for a brief moment.

"Piper? Paige?" Phoebe's voice interrupted whatever Paige was going to say back.

Paige smirked at Piper. "Not anymore." She teased as Phoebe joined them in the conservatory.

"You're back." Piper stated, ignoring Paige.

Paige's eyes narrowed when she didn't see Prue. "No Prue?" Paige questioned curiously.

Phoebe opened her mouth to answer but Piper beat her to it. "She's meeting with Darryl and Andy. Apparently, they have a plan that might cross paths with us." Piper explained.

Paige turned her narrowed eyes to Piper. "And you couldn't have told me that before… why?" She pressed in a disgruntled voice.

"Did you find anything in the book?" Phoebe demanded before Piper and Paige could start arguing again.

"The book?" Piper repeated in confusion.

Paige nodded her head in the direction of the window. "She's been busy looking at something else, but no fear, I've found what we're looking for." She announced with a dramatic bow.

"I was looking." Piper argued with a glare at Paige. "You should see what I found." Piper insisted, leading the way to the open Book of Shadows.

Phoebe made a run for the window as Piper left it and looked through it to find Dan still washing his car. "Oh, yeah, that's something to look at. He's yummy." Phoebe commented, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Piper rolled her eyes before turning her attention to the book. "'When a witch renounces all human emotions and makes a pact with darkness to protect herself from heartbreak, she becomes a Succubus… a sexual predator.'" She read aloud for Phoebe's benefit.

"Let me see that." Phoebe wished, moving behind Piper to read the page for herself. "'She seeks out powerful men who become helpless against her magic, then feeds off their testosterone with her razor-sharp tongue.'" Phoebe finished the passage. She paused a moment to let the information sink in. "So this monster is an evil sexually-charged witch?" She summarized.

"Exactly." Paige agreed and then smiled at Phoebe. "And even better than that, it can't be you because you have not renounced all human emotions. I think we would have noticed…" Paige added enthusiastically.

"And as far as we know, you don't have a razor sharp tongue and you haven't made a pact with darkness." Piper threw in helpfully. Piper flipped the Book of Shadows to the next page and pointed at it. "Here's a spell to attract the Succubus and destroy it with fire." She pointed out.

Phoebe grimaced at the page. "A flaming death for yours truly?" She repeated. "I don't think so."

Paige grabbed the Book of Shadows off the table and started for the stairs. "Don't worry, Pheebs. It's not you. So let's get started." She decided eagerly.

Phoebe stared at Paige in disbelief. "You actually want to cast that spell when I could attack you?" Phoebe realized.

"Piper can just freeze you if you attack me." Paige replied with a shrug and without a concern.

Piper nodded slightly. "Yeah, sure." She agreed.

"No, we should at least wait for Prue." Phoebe insisted nervously.

"Prue is just an orb away if we need help. It's not a big deal…" Paige argued. "But this thing is going to kill someone if we don't start acting soon and that is a big deal. I'm not going to allow someone to die tonight just because we're not all together to cast a spell. We can do this." Phoebe didn't appear convinced but Piper pulled her up the stairs anyways.

~PO4~

Paige kneeled down in a circle of chalk and lit candles with the Book of Shadows open to the Succubus page. "Everybody ready?" Paige asked cheerfully.

Phoebe shook her head hastily but Piper was the one that spoke. "Let's just get this over with."

"By the forces of heaven and hell,  
Draw to us this woman fell,  
Rend from her foul desire,  
That she may perish as a moth to fire."

As soon as Paige finished the chant, the fire from the candles erupted around her so that Piper and Phoebe had to turn away from the heat. After a moment, there was glow around Paige that Piper and Phoebe missed but then the flames died away.

Piper looked at Phoebe with an I-told-you-so expression. "See, I knew it wasn't you." Piper insisted, nodding in satisfaction at the outcome.

"I didn't burn! I'm okay!" Phoebe exclaimed in relief.

"Uh, guys… I…" A deep voice from the general area of where Paige was trailed off as if they didn't know quite what to say.

Phoebe and Piper turned around to see what was up. Piper gasped loudly and Phoebe's jaw dropped practically to the floor. "Oh! Oh my god!" Piper yelped while Phoebe was stunned speechless. Their eyes were wide as they took in their youngest sister now turned into a man. Complete with faint facial hair growth and of course, wearing the clothes she had been wearing before that now didn't fit anymore. "I don't believe it." Piper stated.

"I think… I'm gonna go call Prue." Phoebe mumbled, backing away slowly for the stairs.

The man version of Paige seemed to be getting over the initial shock and his brown eyes (the same shade as Paige's) widened in horror. "Reverse this! Now!" He screeched.

Phoebe turned tail and took off down the stairs for the phone while Piper raced for the Book of Shadows and fumbled through the pages for a reversal. "Coward." Piper hissed under her breath in regards to Phoebe.

~PO4~

Paige locked himself inside his bedroom and refused to open the door. Piper sat against the wall next to the door with the Book of Shadows in her lap. "Paige, that's enough. Come ut please." Piper yelled through the door.

"I'm not leaving here until you reverse the damn spell!" Paige snapped.

Prue narrowed her eyes at the unfamiliar man voice coming from the other side of the door. "That's her?" She asked, pacing nervously.

Phoebe nodded before addressing Paige. "Come on, sweetie, it's been over an hour already." She pleaded. She lowered her voice so that only Prue and Piper could hear her. "Do you think she's touching herself?" Phoebe wondered.

Piper glared at Phoebe for her immaturity and flipped the pages of the Book of Shadows again. "The book doesn't say anything about a reversal. Maybe you're supposed to stay a man until you attract the Succubus." Piper suggested to Paige.

"To hell with that idea." Paige yelled. "Call Andy and have him cast the spell to attract it. Maybe it'll change me back or he can go slay the Succubus and I can turn back." He argued.

"That could just make you stuck that way." Prue pointed out casually. "Maybe if you had waited until I got back with their plan…"

"Shut up!" Paige snapped, effectively ending Prue's lecture.

Piper rolled her eyes and closed the Book of Shadows. "Well, you don't really have a choice. I'm thinking that we need to get you to the dating service since that's where the Succubus picks her victims." She offered.

"I think that'll actually work." Prue agreed with a nod to Piper

"Yeah, she could…" Phoebe trailed off uncertainly. "Uh… he can sign up like the rest of the guys." Phoebe corrected herself.

Paige hit the door with his fist. "I'm not leaving!" He insisted.

Prue sighed loudly. "Paige, if you don't open the door and get out here yourself I'll use my power to do it." Prue threatened.

"Lives are at stake, Paige. Innocent men are going to die…" Piper added, using Paige's typical weakness. The need to help. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be working this time. "We're your sisters, Paige. You don't have to be embarrassed. We're not going to laugh." She promised.

Paige threw the door open so hard that it slammed against the wall, just barely missing Prue. Prue jumped but as soon as she saw Paige, she froze. Prue opened her mouth to say something but no words came out so she just stared openly. Paige stubbornly ignored Prue and glared at Piper. "How the hell would you like me to attract the Succubus? I look creepy. I'm wearing clothes from Andy's closet and the ex-boyfriend pile, I have hair in strange places, and I have a penis!" Phoebe burst out laughing, partly from Paige in general and partly from the look on Prue's face which was priceless to say the least. Piper just couldn't think of anything to say once Phoebe started laughing. "I hate you!" Paige  
screamed, shoving Phoebe back into Prue and slamming the door in their face.

"Um, disturbing…" Prue mumbled before biting onto one of her fingers in an effort to keep from laughing. Her face quickly turned bright red at the effort, causing Phoebe to laugh harder.

Piper spun on the laughing Phoebe and almost laughing Prue. "What is the matter with you two?" She hissed.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it." Phoebe apologized. "Paige just looked… and then Prue's face. Did you see it?" Phoebe exclaimed, laughing again at the thought.

"What the hell was I supposed to look like?" Prue demanded, appearing offended.

"I warned you." Piper reminded her.

Prue glanced at the door and shook her head. "Nothing you could have said would have prepared me for that!" She retorted.

Piper couldn't disagree so she sighed again and turned back to the closed door. "Paige, you don't actually have to date anyone. All you have to do is make yourself seen and available." She insisted.

"And the sooner you come out the sooner you catch the Succubus and you'll turn back." Prue added.

Paige opened the door slightly nicer this time. Paige's eyes focused on a now fiercely composed Prue. "Are you sure?"

His voice was so pathetic at that moment that a wave of sympathy ran through them. "Oh, honey, I promise." Prue assured, stepping forward and giving Paige a rather awkward hug.

~PO4~

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe finally managed to get Paige to come down the stairs for the conservatory.

"Confidence is everything. It makes the way the walk, the way they talk, the primal protective instinct…" Prue was saying.

"And the handshake. Can't forget the handshake." Piper piped up.

Prue nodded in agreement. "And the handshake. Confidence, confidence, confidence." She repeated as if to drill it into Paige's head.

"Sports. Men like sports." Phoebe added helpfully.

"And cooking outdoors and stuff." Prue continued.

"Oh, and sincerity. That's the key." Piper stated.

Phoebe smirked at the look Paige was giving them. "But what really makes a man is the clothes he wears, the car he drives, and the money he earns… according to Cosmo." Phoebe explained.

Paige appeared overwhelmed. "I don't think I can remember all that." He muttered.

"That's not confident." Prue berated instantly.

Phoebe laughed but spoke up before Paige could say anything. "Okay, let's just start with your walk." She suggested.

"All you have to do is visualize a man that you admire and then emulate him." Piper instructed. "The walk will follow." She promised.

Paige nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, I can do that."

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe backed away to give Paige room to move in front of them. "Alright, go." Prue allowed. Paige strutted across the room and made girlie spin back to face the three sisters. Prue frowned slightly. "I hope that wasn't supposed to be anyone I know…" She mumbled.

"That was Richard Simmons all the way." Piper guessed teasingly.

Paige huffed as Piper and Phoebe burst out laughing. Prue attempted to keep expressionless. "Um, maybe you should try shuffling your feet. Men do that a lot. It might help…" She suggested, turning red again as she tried to hold her giggles in.

Before Paige could try it again, the doorbell rang. Phoebe was the first to really recover enough as Prue didn't trust herself to speak anymore at the moment. "Alright, I'll get Morris and Andy's files. Try to put together a list of attributes the Succubus is attracted to. You three can get the door." She ordered.

"Oh, wait, I'm ahead of you. I'll get all the similarities with the victims I put together with Darryl and Andy." Prue offered, starting to follow Phoebe.

"Wait, you're gonna make me go to the door?" Paige asked with a look of apprehension

Phoebe and Prue paused in their departure. "Think of it as a practice run for the dating service." Phoebe advised and then a look of realization crossed her features. "Oh, oh, I know! Tom Hanks… Everybody loves Tom Hanks. Think of him." With that she and Prue left for the kitchen.

"Tom Hanks." Paige repeated thoughtfully.

Phoebe glanced over her shoulder. "Everybody loves him." She reminded.

"Okay." Piper mouthed and then grabbed hold of Paige's arm and pulled the reluctant man-version of her sister to the door. Piper opened the door and her eyes widened when she saw it was Dan. "Dan!" She gasped in surprise.

"Hi, I didn't mean to interrupt but my freezer broke and I wanted to see if I could get some ice from you… guys." Dan paused, eyeing Paige funny.

Paige lowered his gaze to the floor until Piper elbowed his arm. "Uh, oh, Dan this is, uh… this is… this is Manny. Manny Hanks. He's my… uh, friend." Piper invented awkwardly and waving for Dan to come on inside.

"Well, it's nice to meet you." Dan allowed, shaking "Manny's" hand as he walked inside. "Manny's" face creased with pain at the rough handshake but Dan missed it as he walked past.

"Piper!" Prue's voice shattered any further conversation.

"Come in here, quick!" Phoebe's followed.

Piper glanced over her shoulder. "Okay, coming." She called back and then turned an apologetic gaze back to Dan. "I'll be right back with that ice." She promised and then turned back to the kitchen.

"Hey…" "Manny" hissed under his breath.

"He's a good man." Piper whispered as she walked away. "Remember what Prue said." She added just before she was out of hearing range. "Manny" grumbled something that sounded like 'confidence' before facing Dan.

Dan eyed him curiously. "Have we met before?" He questioned. "You look familiar." Dan hastened to explain his question.

"Manny" just shrugged with an indiscernible grunt. As a man that used to be a woman, the less speaking would be for the better.

"So have you known the sisters long?" Dan wondered in an attempt to strike up a conversation.

"Manny" gave him a cool nod in the hopes that that was more manly. "I'm their second brother that they never had." He offered as Dan already knew Andy was the first brother… except to Prue, of course.

~PO4~

Piper ran into the kitchen to find Prue trying to support Phoebe. She hastily ran to help by grabbing Phoebe's other arm. "What happened?" She demanded.

"She had a premonition and collapsed." Prue explained, watching Phoebe with worried eyes.

Phoebe slowly shook her head. "No, not a premonition. I had one of those hot flashes, the Succubus visions." She corrected. "I think you were right, Prue. I really am psychically linked to that thing. I see what she sees, feel what she feels… I felt excited." Phoebe admitted.

"Excited happy? Or excited aroused?" Piper asked after exchanging a look with Prue.

"She's in heat, okay? And so am I." Phoebe replied.

Prue appeared thoughtful. "That would explain the symptoms you've been experiencing. You must be connected in more ways than psychically." She offered, uncertain what to make of the situation.

Phoebe nodded slightly in agreement to Prue's observations. "Yeah, it's like I have no control over…" She trailed off as her sight blurred into a new vision. She clenched onto Prue's arm to keep herself steady until it passed. "It just happened again. I saw egg sacs." Phoebe announced.

"Oh, please tell me you don't think she's pregnant or- or something." Prue pleaded.

"Well, yeah, that was what I was thinking." Phoebe answered apologetically.

Piper shook her head hastily. "You mean, there's gonna be a whole brood of them killing men?" She demanded.

"Unless we stop her, I think that's exactly her plan." Phoebe decided softly.

~PO4~

Dan turned back to face "Manny." "So, Piper isn't seeing anyone?" He asked, crossing his arms in a masculine way.

"Manny" narrowed his eyes thoughtfully before copying Dan's moves. "No, not really." "Manny" replied distractedly.

"So, Piper is seeing someone." Dan guessed while leaning comfortably against the wall.

"Manny" quickly mimicked him again. "No, not really…" He repeated the previous answer. "Manny" suddenly threw his hands up in the air dramatically. "You know, the next guy she dates is gonna have to be approved by me…" He pointed harshly at himself. "I mean, come on, I will not see her dating some guy that runs off with the first blonde bimbo he sees that has a nice body. Don't you think that's just way out of line?" "Manny" ranted, forgetting for the moment that it wasn't Paige, Dan was talking to.

Dan stared at "Manny" with a weird expression. "Uh, I guess…" Dan agreed, probably more to get on "Manny's" good side then actually sympathizing.

"Manny" seemed to realize how it had sounded and smiled awkwardly. "How 'bout those niners?" He changed the subject abruptly to sports.

"Okay, here's your ice." Piper interrupted, carrying a bucket of ice in her arms while Prue and Phoebe followed behind.

Dan spun around to face them. "Thanks." Dan appreciated, taking it gratefully.

"No problem. It was good to see you." Prue allowed. She offered him a quick wave and her tone of voice implied that he should leave.

Phoebe caught on before he did and grabbed his arm. "Bye bye. Take care. Tell Jenny we said hi, okay? Alright, good." She then roughly pushed him out the door and closed it behind him.

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe gathered around "Manny." "So?" Piper pressed curiously.

"We're totally screwed." "Manny" answered seriously.

~PO4~

"Fine Romance" Dating Service

"Manny" sat in a room where they were recording about what he felt was important in a relationship. "I like commitment." He said and then stopped as if that was everything. The woman behind the camera made a motion for him to elaborate or continue. "Manny" sighed before reluctantly continuing. "You know, someone that's not gonna run away from a thrill or run to another hott woma… err, man just because. I'm not a toy and I believe women deserve to be treated with respect, not something to be tossed away." "Manny" finished with a slightly louder voice than necessary.

The woman behind the camera, Jan, peeked around at "Manny." "Can I just say… wow. You really know what women want to hear." She sighed, almost dreamily.

"Manny" smirked. "Imagine that." He muttered under his breath.

~PO4~

"We're looking for someone named Owen who signed up earlier today." Prue explained to Darla at the receptionist desk.

Darla thought the name over while taking a folder from one of the workers. "Um, Dr. Owen Grant?" Darla asked.

"Doctor?" Phoebe repeated with a smirk at Prue. "Yeah, I guess that's him. Do you have any way I can get in touch with him…" Phoebe started but Prue slammed her foot down on Phoebe's toes to make her be quiet.

"Darla, since I signed up this morning, can I see his file?" Prue questioned with a falsely bright smile. Freeze her! Prue thought.

Darla's eyes flickered up to meet hers. "Sorry, those are classified, but you can view his tape…" She started but Piper froze the room.

"She talks too much." Phoebe stated as she went around the desk to pull out Owen's file. "By the way, Prue, that really hurt." She paused when she saw a file labeled 'Dan Gordon.' "I do not believe it!" She exclaimed, pulling it out also.

"What?" Piper demanded as she noticed that Phoebe's eyes were on her.

"Looks like neighbor Dan signed up too. Interested?" Phoebe offered.

Prue smiled widely and snatched it from Phoebe. "Of course, she is." She teased, pushing the file (tape included) into Piper's hands. Piper just smiled eagerly. "Alright, unfreeze her so we can leave." Prue ordered. Piper flicked her wrists and the room unfroze. "I think I'll have a look around first. I might come back." Prue interrupted Darla and then ran off with her three sisters and the two files before Darla could respond.

~PO4~

Outside "Fine Romance," the three cops were once again staking out the building. Smith had regained his title as the cameraman and continued to take pictures of women as they entered the building. "Boy, a man could do some serious damage in there, you know? Just drop all the pretense and go all caveman." Smith pointed out with an expression akin to a greedy child on Christmas day.

Darryl let out a soft laugh. "You're really something, you know that, Smith?"

"I know it. That's what the ladies tell me." Smith replied, loosening his tie a little.

Andy muttered something under his breath that sounded distinctly like "Sure they do." Darryl laughed harder and silently high-fived his partner in the back seat.

Smith didn't seem to notice them. "Man, it's boiling." He admitted.

"You don't strike me as the type of person to be bothered by a little heat." Andy insinuated at the rookie's expense.

Smith shrugged and opened the door of the car. "I think I'll do a little investigating inside." He decided suddenly.

"Oh! Whoa, no! You're not going anywhere." Darryl snapped.

"Trudeau got to go inside earlier." Smith argued, pointing at Andy.

Darryl rolled his eyes. "Trudeau is a senior officer, not a rookie." He countered irritably.

"Come on, it's a mixer, right? I want to go inside and mix it up." Smith returned. He got out of the car without waiting for another word.

Darryl and Andy hastily jumped out after him. "You know, he kinda reminds me of you. You had to go talk to a woman on a stake out too." Darryl muttered.

Andy thought back to the time Darryl was thinking. They had been staking out Quake for Stefan the photographer when Prue had walked by. "Except, I went for one woman. Not for a whole building of them." He retorted with a smirk.

"It makes little difference." Darryl stated.

~PO4~

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe flipped through the files for information that could help them. "Do you think the Succubus already got Owen?" Phoebe asked nervously. "I mean, what if we're too late?" She worried.

"You would know if we were too late." Prue pointed out.

Piper nodded absently from where she was looking over Dan's file. "Yeah, you would have had a psychic flash or something from it." She agreed.

Phoebe glanced up and suddenly spotted him. "Oh! There he is." She announced and Piper and Prue followed her gaze. "Hey, you know… maybe I should take him back to the Manor to keep him safe." Phoebe suggested.

"You and him, at the Manor, alone?" Piper summarized.

Prue shook her head. "Keep dreaming, Pheebs. Maybe after all this is over." Prue offered with a soft laugh.

"Well, I'm just gonna talk with him." Phoebe insisted, a little upset that they didn't trust her with him. Though in all fairness, they were right.

"You can talk with him here." Prue replied, patting Phoebe's shoulder. "I'm gonna go get Paige, rescue her from any girls." She announced, getting to her feet.

Piper nodded and jumped up as well. "I'd like to make a stop by the video room myself." Piper stated.

Phoebe smiled, grabbing Dan's video tape before Piper could. "Don't forget Dan's tape." She teased. Piper glared at her playfully as she snatched the video from Phoebe and followed Prue to the video rooms. As they left, Phoebe made eye contact with Owen and she walked up to him. "Hi." She greeted cheerfully.

"Hi." Owen returned with a wide smile upon seeing her.

~PO4~

"Manny" paced around the video tape room. "So, from your experience, how long should it take for me to get a date?" He asked curiously.

Jan smiled sweetly. "Mr. Hanks. Something tells me that you could be dating as soon as tomorrow. This is one great tape." She complimented, holding the said tape up.

~PO4~

"I'm sorry. I-I just… can't do this…" Dan apologized to Jan, the camerawoman.

"Oh, come on, your sister paid for this, Mr. Gordon. You can do it." Jan encouraged.

Dan let out an embarrassed laugh. "This just isn't me." He explained.

"Give it a try. Just speak from your heart." Jan suggested. "What do you look for in a woman?" She pressed.

"What do I look for?" Dan repeated and then took a moment to think it over. "I don't know. I'm old-fashioned, I guess…" He hesitated before continuing. "I look for the girl next door. Someone with a good heart, a good personality, and looks to match. The kind of girl that when I leave for work in the morning, I wait just a little bit until she leaves for work too. Just to catch a glimpse of that long dark hair and great smile, hoping that maybe one day, she'll notice that I'm watching and she'll smile back at me…"

Piper paused the video and a smiling Dan was looking back at her. A small smile crossed her face as his words sank in. Ever so slowly, she ejected the tape but her smile never faltered.

~PO4~

Phoebe and Owen were settled comfortably on the couch, passing the time with some flirtatious chitchat.

"Do you, uh, wanna get out of here and take a walk or something?" Owen asked hopefully.

"Uh, I-I-I would love to. Really. But I- I can't." Phoebe declined apologetically. She shifted positions so as not to meet his eyes in case he was really disappointed.

Owen didn't appear fazed. "You can't? Why not?" He wondered.

"Oh, it's- it's hard, I mean, to explain, you know?" Phoebe stammered before trying to use her hand to fan herself. "Is it really hot in here?"

Owen watched her curiously for a moment. "You know what? I'm gonna get you something to drink. I'll be right back." He offered, standing up and heading to the juice bar.

"Okay, alright." Phoebe agreed. As soon as he had left, Phoebe was pulled into another vision of the Succubus. She saw the Succubus enter the room. "Oh, no, she's here."

Phoebe whispered. She saw Prue and "Manny" on one side of the room and Piper coming out of another hallway. She decided Piper would be the best so she took off in that direction. "Piper!" Phoebe called only to be intercepted by the returning Owen.

"Hey, what's going on? Are you okay?" Owen asked, quickly picking up on her hurry.

Phoebe eagerly took one of the drinks from him. "Yeah, uh, we need to get out of here fast, okay? Follow me." She ordered and changed directions toward Prue, who had just spotted her and was approaching with "Manny." "Um, Owen, this is my sister, Prue. If you could just stay with her for a minute, I'll be right back." Phoebe promised, running to get Piper's attention.

"It's nice to meet you." Prue greeted, shaking hands with him while "Manny" stayed a few steps away.

Phoebe didn't hear anymore after that as she bolted up to Piper. "Uh, tune in Prue." She whispered and then continued without waiting for Piper to respond. "She's here. I felt her." Phoebe explained, obviously speaking of the Succubus.

"What? Where is she?" Piper demanded, glaring around at the crowd as if she'd be able to spot the Succubus.

"I don't know but she's in the room somewhere. She could be after Owen." Phoebe worried, pointing in the direction of Prue and Owen.

"Well, get him out of here. Fast." Piper decided.

Tell Pheebs I'll take him outside where she can pick him up.

"Oh, Prue says she'll wait for you outside and you can have him back." Piper added.

Phoebe nodded hastily and then spun around. She only made it a couple of steps before Smith stepped in front of her. "Oh, where are you going, honey?" He asked her while grabbing onto her wrist.

Phoebe glared at him. "Excuse me." She offered and tried to go around him.

Smith leaned down toward her. "No, no, no, I'd like to have a little talk with you… in private." He explained, showing her his police mark. Phoebe didn't respond as she was drawn into another flash from the Succubus where she saw it had seen Owen.

"What the hell's the matter with you, Smith? Let her go before Trudeau sees you." Darryl ordered, obviously angry at his rough handling, especially as it was one of the sisters.

Phoebe wasn't paying attention to them and her gaze landed on Prue, Andy, Owen, and "Manny". "Prue! Manny! It's Owen! Take him out, fast!" Phoebe yelled.

Prue was jolted from her conversation with Andy and moved to hastily pull Owen out forcefully. (She was having trouble getting him to leave with her.) "Manny," however, misinterpreted the order. He stepped forward and slugged Owen in the face. Owen crashed to the ground and the crowd stepped away.

"Oh my god! Manny, stop!" Prue screamed, ready to join the fight, but Andy pulled her back.

"What are you doing?" Piper screeched as she ran to join Prue.

"Who the hell is he?" Andy demanded. He maneuvered the two stunned sisters behind him in case the other guy was still dangerous and began pulling his handcuffs out.

Prue and Piper grabbed his arms. "No!" They yelled at the same time, making Andy pause. Prue dashed around him to grab "Manny's" arm and attempt to pull him toward the door.

Phoebe was helping Owen to his feet when Smith ran up to "Manny". "Sorry, doll." He told Prue, grabbing her arm and pushing her out of the way. Darryl, coming up behind Smith, reached out and caught Prue around the waist, looking ready to explode. "Alright, Man, you're under arrest." Smith stated to "Manny."

"Manny" responded by punching him so hard that he flew several feet and hit a table. Those that knew to look could see the light swirl of orbs around him before they faded away.

Darryl grabbed "Manny" and handcuffed his hands behind his back. "That's it, you're under arrest, pal." Darryl decided. "Get up, Smith." He called to the rookie.

Andy walked up to Owen. Phoebe intercepted him in the hopes to keep Owen from being arrested. "Sorry, Pheebs." He apologized and handcuffed Owen.

Phoebe took one look at him and knew not to argue so she ran to join the stunned Prue and Piper. "This is… This is bad. This is really bad." Piper observed, biting her lip slightly as the cops led "Manny" and Owen out.

"It's okay, I'll talk to them at the station. See if we can get Paige out of jail." Prue assured them although she didn't sound too confident.

Phoebe grabbed onto Prue's arm as she was struck with another vision. She saw the Succubus zero in on the arrested "Manny." "It's getting worse." Phoebe whispered. "The Succubus isn't attracted to Owen anymore. She's attracted to Paige."

"Oh, yay." Prue muttered sarcastically. "At least it worked." She allowed with a shrug


	8. She's a Man, Baby, a Man Part 2

San Francisco Police Department

Darryl stood up from his desk to face Prue, Piper, and Phoebe in disbelief. "You want me to release him?" He repeated. "Your friend punched a cop." Darryl argued.

"Yeah, well, your cop didn't get in trouble for pushing me out of the way or harassing Phoebe." Prue retorted.

"Would you like to press charges?" Andy asked jokingly. Darryl fixed him with a look that clearly said this wasn't the time for joking.

Phoebe sighed and spoke up. "Four men have died in the last four nights but none so far tonight. Why do you think that is?" Phoebe challenged.

"Because of Manny. That's why." Piper answered for them.

"If he stays in jail, she could get bored and go find another innocent man to kill." Prue added.

Darryl glanced back at Andy. "Hand me the file." He ordered. Andy tossed it to him and Darryl flipped it open. "I suppose you want me to release this, uh… this Dr. Owen Grant too?" He guessed after finding the name of the other fighter.

"Uh, no, actually. He's still a potential victim. As long as he's here, he's safe. You can't let him out." Phoebe explained.

Darryl sighed, dropping the file on his desk. He looked to Andy as if asking his opinion. Andy shrugged slightly. "We did ask for their help." Andy pointed out.

Darryl nodded in defeat. "This is going bite me in the ass. I know it is." He lamented.

Andy stood up from his chair. "I'll go get him." He offered, walking out the door at the back.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Piper opened the front door the next morning and walked down the driveway to pick up the paper when she saw Glen coming up to her. "Ooh…" Piper mumbled before waving cheerily at him. "Morning, Glen." She called to him.

Glen waved and stopped in front of her. "Hey, Piper." He greeted.

"So what are you doing here?" Piper wondered curiously.

Glen hesitated and his eyes flickered to the door of the Manor. "Came to see Paige. I didn't see her at P4 last night even though I told her I'd be there. I'm supposed to leave in a couple hours and I was going to see if she was coming." Glen explained.

"Ah, well, I'm sorry, but she's actually sick and very hormonal." Piper apologized.

"She caught what Phoebe had, didn't she?" Glen guessed with a frown.

Piper nodded as that was as good a reason as any. "I'll tell her you stopped by." She promised.

Glen appeared disappointed. "Yeah, I guess, thanks." He appreciated and turned away. Piper had just let out a sigh of relief when he turned back to face her. "Would you tell me if she was mad at me?" He asked.

Piper was caught off guard by the question. "Uh, well, it would depend." She admitted.

"I think I upset her on our date the night before last. Would you tell her I'm sorry if she is mad at me?" Glen inquired hopefully.

Piper nodded, a slight smile crossing her face. "Sure. Have a good trip, Glen. She should be all better by the time you get back." She watched him leave thoughtfully for a moment before she raced inside to tell her sisters the news. Especially Paige.

~PO4~

"Manny" walked through the house after fixing the air conditioner with a tool belt fastened around his waist. He saw Phoebe attempting to open a jar but failing. Ever the helper, he took it from her and easily opened it before giving it back to her.

"Thanks." Phoebe appreciated and then gave "Manny" a curious look. "So, Paige, what are you thinking about right now?" She asked.

"Sex." "Manny" answered without a thought. "I can't seem to get it out of my head. We men have some serious needs." He continued.

Phoebe just nodded and put the thermometer in her mouth. "Did you fix the air conditioning?"

"Yeah, I just had to clean the filter. Air flow clog must have thrown the breaker." "Manny" assured her.

"Oh, thank god, I think I can feel it!" Prue exclaimed as she joined the conversation. She dragged a half-asleep Andy along behind her. "Why couldn't you have fixed it? Paige makes it sound like it was easy." Prue questioned, turning on Andy.

Andy just stared at her for a moment until the question sank in. "Maybe because I've been at work or sleeping for the past three days because of the murders." He replied defensively.

Prue smiled slightly. "I was just teasing." Prue promised.

"Sorry." Andy apologized.

"So why aren't you at work now?" Phoebe asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Late night. I don't have to go in again until noon." Andy answered. He nodded in greeting to "Manny" who he now knew was Paige but the thought of having any conversation with his sister-in-law turned male weirded him out to say the least.

Piper sauntered in with a bounce to her step. "Guess who I met outside." She ordered in a sing-song voice. When nobody answered her, she continued. "Glen." She announced.

"And he wanted me to tell you that he's sorry if he upset you on your date the night before last." Piper relayed to "Manny."

"Manny" looked confused. "I thought he was going hiking today."

Piper nodded. "He is. He stopped by to see if you were going with them." She explained.

"What did you tell him?" "Manny" demanded with a worried expression.

"I told him you were sick and feeling a little hormonal. He seemed to think you caught whatever Phoebe has." Piper laughed softly.

Phoebe pulled the thermometer out of her mouth. "102.5 degrees. Probably normal for a Succubus." She stated and glanced at "Manny." "Be glad he's wrong. This sucks." She groaned.

Prue frowned at the temperature reading. "I'll get a cold towel. Coupled with the air conditioning maybe it'll get your temp. down a little." Prue offered, heading for the kitchen.

"I think you should just go see a doctor." Piper voiced her opinion again.

Phoebe sighed and shook her head. "Piper, there's nothing he can do. It's the connection to the Succubus. It's getting stronger. Probably because she missed her nightly feeding. She didn't get Owen or Paige. She needs to kill. I can feel it." Phoebe retorted, leaning back into her chair.

Andy, who was basically lost in what was going on, decided to take the initiative and get them thinking of a plan. "Since our plan can no longer work, do you have ideas?" He prompted.

"Manny" instantly spoke up. "Actually, I do. My video was so awesome that I already have twenty dates lined up. One's probably the Succubus so I told all of them to meet me at P4 tonight." "Manny" announced.

"What? Tonight?" Piper repeated with a face akin to horror. Prue came back in at that moment and passed Phoebe the damp cloth before joining Andy again.

"Manny" nodded. "Starting at six." He replied.

Piper shook her head hastily. "Oh no, no, no, no, no, not tonight. The Cranberries are coming in for a sound check before the benefit tomorrow. I can't risk scaring them away." Piper argued.

"Manny" didn't look concerned. "We'll just finish it quickly. All I have to do is get close enough to sense if they're evil or not. Once I find her, I nail her and that's that."

"Nail her?" Prue repeated with a smirk. "In what kind of way are we talking?" She teased, earning a glare from "Manny" that sent her into a fit of giggles.

"Prue, sometimes I worry about how you think." Phoebe admitted.

Andy rolled his eyes before checking his watch. "Back on topic." He prompted impatiently.

Piper turned to face Andy with her hands on her hips. "What? Is it a man thing to just take over? Be in charge? Because both of you are starting to get on my nerves." She glared at Andy and "Manny" pointedly.

"Piper, that's not fair." Prue defended, returning the glare at her younger sister.

Andy ran his hands over Prue's arms in a silent sign that it was okay. "I'll make coffee." He offered neutrally before walking toward the kitchen.

Prue still looked upset but dropped it as Andy had asked. "I think Paige's plan will actually work." She stated instead with a slight nod to "Manny."

"Thank you, babe." "Manny" appreciated.

Piper, Prue, and Phoebe exchanged looks at the pet-name but just decided to ignore it despite how it worried them. "She still could have consulted me. Just because she's a man doesn't mean she can just override what I think." Piper grumbled.

"It didn't start happening until she sucker-punched Owen." Phoebe pointed out.

"You said and I quote 'it's Owen, take him out.' And I did." "Manny" snapped.

Phoebe nodded dramatically. "Oh, you bet your butt, you did. You nearly broke his jaw." Phoebe agreed sarcastically.

"It's not my fault your order was ambiguous. You told me to act like a man and I did what I thought you wanted. Next time say that 'Owen's the innocent' or 'Get him out' or something." "Manny" suggested, his voice rising.

Piper threw her hands in the air dramatically. "You wanna know how to be a real man? Look at Dan. Honest, kind, good heart. The kind of guy who would risk being late for work just to make you smile. Not some bully whose first instinct is to punch somebody." She lectured and then stalked off.

Prue looked slightly taken aback at the spill. "Huh, maybe I should look out the window more often." She joked but nevertheless ran to the window that Piper had just left. Phoebe and "Manny" followed. Prue pulled back the curtain to see Dan working on his truck.

"Oh, yeah, nice body, great tan." Phoebe sighed.

"Awesome truck." "Manny" stated.

Prue burst into a fit of giggles. "Paige, you're starting to worry me. First you call me 'babe' and now you're interested in trucks…" She admitted.

"Yep, I think you really are becoming a man." Phoebe agreed with Prue's observation.

~PO4~

Sport's Bar

Andy parked his car outside the building and him and "Manny" walked toward the front. "So, Andy, how did Prue talk you into this?" "Manny" asked curiously.

"She told me that if you were going to pull this off then I needed to show you that you don't have to punch everyone you see. I've just learned to agree with what she says." Andy admitted with a shrug. "She wanted male bonding or something." He added.

"So what are we actually going to do?" "Manny" questioned.

Andy shrugged to himself. "Stay here until we've passed a reasonable amount of time to have 'bonded.'" He explained.

"Sounds like a plan." "Manny" allowed just as they walked inside. For being rather early in the morning, it was quite crowded. At least around the televisions that were showing the lead-up to the day's games. Some of them were playing last night's, as well. "Manny" and Andy took a seat at one of the tables. An awkward silence fell between them as neither put forth any effort to start a conversation.  
"  
Hello, my name is Jill, can I get you guys something to drink?" A woman asked them.

Andy started to say something but "Manny" beat him to it. "No, we just came to see the game." "Manny" stated, his voice icy. Jill nodded and left quickly.

Andy stared at "Manny" with a calculating look. "What was that?" He questioned.

"I don't want something from her." "Manny" snapped. "The blonde bimbo." He muttered under his breath.

Andy raised an eyebrow. "She's the blonde you've been going on about?"

"Yeah, Glen was all over her." "Manny" dramatized.

"Glen took you to a sport's bar for a date?" Andy asked in disbelief.

"Manny" shrugged. "It was after we ate which I guess was the real date. We just hang out here sometimes afterwards until going to P4 or doing something else." He explained. He looked up at Andy to find the off-duty cop staring at him. "What?"

"I just don't think I'd ever get Prue into a sport's bar." Andy answered with a smirk as if imagining exactly that.

"Well, it's not my favorite place to be." "Manny" admitted. "But it's not horrible either."

They fell silent again for several moments until Andy broke it. "So when you say Glen was all over her…" Andy started.

"Manny" frowned and cast a glare at the unsuspecting Jill across the room. "You know, he's was hitting on her when I was here." He elaborated.

"Does Glen not normally do that?" Andy asked thoughtfully.

"Well, sometimes, but he's been doing it more and more. It's like the more serious we get the more he has to go flirt with someone else. Like he thinks I'm holding him back or something so he tries harder not to let me." "Manny" ranted.

Andy laughed softly at the obvious irritation that the situation had on "Manny." "Have you ever thought that maybe he's just nervous? An instinct to hide how he's feeling?" Andy suggested.

"Nervous?" "Manny" repeated, thinking the word over. "I don't think Glen gets nervous around girls. I mean, he was certainly smooth-talking around her." He argued.

Andy shook his head. "Not nervous around girls. Nervous around you." He let that sink in a moment. "And trust me, every man gets nervous at some point or another." He added for good measure.

"Why would he be nervous around me? I've known him since kindergarten." "Manny" pointed out, unconvinced with Andy's theory.

"You said your relationship was getting more serious. That can make any guy nervous enough to fall back on old habits that might include flirting with a waitress." Andy explained.

"Manny" looked surprised. "Well, if he was nervous, why wouldn't he just say something or slow it down a little?" He asked as if that was the obvious course of action.

"He did slow it down by making you mad at him." Andy stated but continued before "Manny" could respond. "It's not the wisest course of action but it works. However, that probably wasn't the intention anyway. It sounds like everything was going well so he didn't want to risk your relationship by openly saying he wanted to slow it down. That's the theory I'd go with."

"You're serious?" "Manny" realized, earning a nod from Andy. He fell silent, thinking about it from another perspective. Finally, the situation seemed a little lighter. "Manny" smirked and glanced at Andy. "So when have you been nervous around Prue?" He questioned, awaiting a juicy story.

~PO4~

P4

Smith shifted the rear-view mirror of the police car so that he could get a better look at his swollen eye. "Ow, Man, look at that. Look at that. I can hardly even see out of that and you guys let him walk." He exclaimed, none-too-happy about that.

"Comes with the job, Smith." Andy stated from the driver's seat. He nervously loosened his tie as he got more and more on edge the closer it got to the supernatural showdown.

"Why don't you try looking at the club for a while? The sooner we catch the perp, sooner I can have you reassigned." Darryl pointed out.

Smith nodded reluctantly. "Fine."

~PO4~

"I just hope that the Succubus gets here fast because I'm dying." Phoebe groaned. She led the way through the crowd with Piper, trying to join up with Prue and "Manny."

"Okay, focus on the plan." Piper ordered. "Manny lures the Succubus into the alley and then I freeze her, Prue will be on stand-by if we need her telekinesis…"

"And Manny will do whatever it takes to make that bitch burst into flames." Phoebe finished with a nod. Phoebe caught sight of Prue and "Manny" not far from them. Phoebe started to follow after them when she saw "Manny" turn around and check out another woman's butt. "Uh, did Manny just check out that girl's butt?" She asked uncertainly.

Piper glanced around in time to see Prue grab "Manny's" arm and obviously start lecturing him. "Oh, god, this is starting to get weird." She admitted.

Phoebe stared at Piper in disbelief. "It's starting to get weird? Where you been?" She demanded.

~PO4~

Prue pulled "Manny" hastily through the crowd after the incident with the other woman. "Alright, I know you're supposed to be practicing but can you try not to check out other women. It's just wrong." Prue pleaded. They stopped next to the bar and Prue turned to face "Manny." "Manny" just shrugged as if he wasn't really listening and continued to scan the crowd. "You are going to regret that as soon as you turn back into a woman." Prue pointed out.

"I already know the plan. We should get started." "Manny" finally decided, ignoring whatever Prue had said previous.

Prue just sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Fine, stay here at the bar until I call you. As soon as I do, lure her to the alley and we got it from there." She reminded before stalking off toward Piper and Phoebe.

"Manny" sat down at the bar to wait out the Succubus. Someone sat down next to him with a drink but he didn't so much as offer a glance until the other man said "Hi." "Manny" glanced over in surprise, recognizing his voice anywhere. Glen. "Hey." He replied hesitantly. "I guess you don't recognize me."

Glen looked over at "Manny" and stared at him as if trying to place if he knew the guy or not. "No, should I?" He questioned before taking a large sip of his drink.

"Manny" shrugged. "I'm in a class with Paige. Name's Manny. Manny Hanks." He lied smoothly.

"Glen Belland." Glen introduced himself. "What class you have with my girlfriend?" He asked.

"Psychology. I saw her yesterday. I thought she had said something about going with you camping… I think." "Manny" answered, giving Glen a questioning look.

Glen hesitated but then shifted to face "Manny" better. "She's sick and I didn't feel like going without her…"

~PO4~

Piper looked up as Prue joined her and Phoebe. "Where's Paige? I lost her…" She admitted, unable to find Paige's unfamiliar male self in the crowd now that Prue had left her. "Err… him." She corrected herself.

"At the bar right there." Prue answered, pointing at "Manny." Her eyes widened slightly upon seeing Glen next to her. "Talking to Glen actually." She added thoughtfully. Phoebe suddenly grabbed onto the edge of the bar as she got another vision from the Succubus.

"Pheebs?" Prue called with a worried expression.

Phoebe saw the Succubus moving through the crowded bar. "The Succubus. She's here. I'm seeing what she's seeing." Phoebe whispered.

"What? Where is she?" Piper demanded.

"She's here somewhere." Phoebe replied, trying to pinpoint a location. "Manny" was suddenly in her vision. "She just spotted Paige."

Prue spun around to see who was around Paige and her eyes landed on Jan the camerawoman. "Oh, oh! The camera lady." Prue pointed out of the crowd.

~PO4~

"Do you always take Paige out on your hikes?" "Manny" asked, attempting in a roundabout way to find out why he didn't just go without her.

Glen frowned slightly. "Well, no, but I never really thought she wanted to go. I mean, the last few times I've asked she's had something going on with her sisters. And then, you know, she's sick…" He trailed off, playing with his straw. "… I guess I just don't want to be too far away."

"Manny" appeared surprised but hastened to cover it up before Glen noticed. "That's sweet." He gushed before actually thinking about it. "Uh, I mean, I bet she'd think that's sweet. You should tell her." He covered.

"Well, I don't want to scare her away. I'm not one that usually admits that kind of stuff. She'll probably think I've gone crazy on her or something." Glen laughed but his smile fell after a short moment. "She's the most interesting person I know. I'd hate to lose her because of my own stupidity." He explained with a shrug.

"I seriously doubt she'd run away from that. You should tell her." "Manny" advised. He stopped abruptly when his phone went off. He quickly answered it when he saw it was Prue.

"Yeah?"

Prue paced nervously in a circle. "She's seen you. Get into position. It's Jan the camerawoman from Fine Romance." Prue ordered.

"Kay. I'm going." "Manny" agreed and then shut his phone. "It was nice talking with you." He offered to Glen before leaving the bar and heading for the back alley.

~PO4~

Phoebe ran through the crowd and intercepted Jan in the hopes of distracting her from "Manny." "Hi, hi, hi, hi, Jan, right? From Fine Romance?" Phoebe guessed, feigning interest.

Jan narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Yes, have we met?" She wondered.

Phoebe didn't answer as she had another vision where the Succubus could see "Manny" in the alley. "It's not you." She realized, backing away slowly.

~PO4~

"Manny" spun around as he heard footsteps coming up behind him. He expected to see Jan or maybe even Prue but instead he was faced with Darla.

The hott blonde receptionist of Fine Romance slowly advanced toward him. "Hello, Manny." She greeted with a bright smile.

"Manny" didn't hesitate and threw his hand out toward her. "Back." He commanded, expecting her to fly away from him in a swirl of orbs but nothing happened. "What's going on?" He whispered to himself but Darla heard it.

"You're falling in love." Darla told him while leaning slightly forward. "You want me. You need me. Tell me I'm irresistible. Tell me." Darla pleaded, taking another step toward him.

"You're irresistible." "Manny" repeated as if in a trance.

Darla's razor-sharp tongue shot forward to take "Manny." Prue jumped from the shadows at the last minute and sent a telekinetic blast at Darla that pushed her (and her razorsharp tongue) back away from "Manny." "Not him you don't, you creepy, self-centered, bit…" Prue stopped abruptly as Darla stood back up and her tongue shot back out at them.

"Oh my god!" Piper screeched, flicking her wrists and freezing her as she and Phoebe came running from inside the club.

~PO4~

Andy, Darryl, and Smith were alerted by Piper's scream and were out of their car in a matter of moments. They ran around to the back where the sound had come from.

~PO4~

"What are you doing, Prue? You were supposed to be an emergency only player." Piper pointed out.

"It was an emergency. Paige didn't use her power and Ms. Succubus over there was going to kill her." Prue insisted, her voice rising.

Phoebe glanced at the surprised "Manny." "Why didn't you use your power?" She demanded.

"Manny" shrugged apologetically. "I tried but it didn't work and before I could try again I just felt…"

"Impotent?" Phoebe suggested.

"Manny" glared at Phoebe. "You don't have to remind me of my…" He started.

"Impotence?" Phoebe repeated.

"Phoebe." Prue warned just as Darla unfroze.

"Oh no!" Piper screamed, jumping backwards and Darla tried to make a run for it by them. Prue and Phoebe grabbed "Manny" and forced him behind them and up against the alley wall.

Smith ran in ahead of Andy and Darryl and pointed his gun at Darla. "Freeze right there." He ordered. Darla barely cast him a glance as she threw him across the alley where he was knocked out against some debris.

Andy and Darryl turned the corner just in front of her with both their guns pointed. "San Francisco PD. Freeze!" Andy yelled. Darla didn't stop running.

"Stop!" Darryl tried one last time. Darla's tongue shot out at them and the sounds of gunshots filled the air along with screams from each of the sisters. Darla's body dropped, one bullet through her head, another through her heart.

Darryl kneeled down next to Darla's body while Andy ran to the sisters to make sure they were okay. "She's dead." Darryl pronounced after failing to feel a pulse. "But I don't know what that was…" He added mostly to himself before walking toward the sisters also.

"Everybody okay?" Andy asked gently after giving Darryl a nod to show he had heard him.

The sisters slowly let go of each other but still looked too stunned to speak until Prue recovered enough to answer for them. "I think so." Prue allowed with a hesitant look around

Andy and Darryl at the body.

"Looks like you got your suspect." Piper offered.

"Manny" looked down at himself and then leaned toward Phoebe. "Okay, how come I'm still a man?" He asked.

~PO4~

The Coroner's Office

The coroner pulled a white sheet over the dead body of Darla before answering Andy and Smith's questions. "The toxicology report won't be back for a week but the preliminary blood panel did show something odd. This woman's endocrine system showed high levels of testosterone." He explained.

Smith tore his gaze away from the sheet covering the body to look at the coroner in surprise. "Testosterone? How is that even possible?" Smith asked.

"You don't want to know, Smith. Trust me." Andy offered under his breath as he wrote down exactly what the coroner had said in his crime notebook.

The coroner was filling out his own report and didn't hear Andy. "Won't know for certain until the autopsy but if it turns out to be accurate, you've definitely got the killer you've been looking for." He answered.

"I'm telling you, there's something really weird about all this." Smith insisted, earning a calculating look from Andy. "It's a real shame, she's a babe." He added.

Andy rolled his eyes at the comment. The coroner chose to ignore him and left into another room. Andy followed and Smith started to but paused at the door and turned back.

"Hey, Smith, come on." Andy ordered upon realizing the rookie wasn't with him. Smith didn't reply and he sauntered back over to Darla's body and pulled the sheet back. "You ever heard of respecting the privacy of the dead?" Andy asked sarcastically, coming back in to pull Smith out.

"What, Trudeau? Have a little…" Smith stopped abruptly when Darla's eyes shot open. "Oh!" He jumped backwards just as Darla's tongue shot at him. Andy cursed in surprise and grabbed Smith's arm before orbing them out of the room and away from the Succubus.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"I don't understand. It says 'to attract and destroy the Succubus. She will come to us and burst into flames.'" Piper read, pointing frantically at the open page of the Book of Shadows.

"Prue! You promised it would change me back." "Manny" complained in a pathetic voice.

Prue paced around the room. "There has to be something we missed. It came but she didn't burst into flames. There has to be a reason for that." Prue insisted.

"Okay, sure, but what reason is that?" Phoebe asked from her seat on Aunt Pearl's couch. "You think it was because Paige didn't use her powers?" She suggested after a moment.

"Manny" glared at them in frustration. "I tried to use them. They didn't work." He snapped.

Further conversation was temporarily stalled as Prue's cell began to ring. "It's Andy. Maybe he's got something." She stated, getting to her feet and going to the other end of the attic to have her conversation.

Piper sighed and shut the book before turning her gaze to look out the window. "Manny" narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "You know, you should ask him out. He's probably just afraid you'll reject him. Trust me." He advised.

"You know that, do you?" Piper laughed softly.

"Well, I am a man whether I like it or not." "Manny" pointed out.

"Maybe we should keep you that way for guy advice." Phoebe joked.

Prue hung up her phone and turned back to her sisters with a worried expression. "I think I know why Paige is still a man. The Succubus is still alive. She attacked that other officer with Andy and then left the building." She explained quickly.

"Oh my god, is Andy okay?" Phoebe demanded.

Prue nodded. "Yeah, he orbed him and the rookie out. He's trying to get Smith to calm down, I think." She assured them.

"Well, it's nice to know there's a reason for me to still be a man but how am I supposed to do anything differently?" "Manny" questioned, getting the conversation back on topic.

"She put me in a trance and I felt that if I rejected her, she would be devastated and I couldn't do that."

"Great. We're dealing with a sensitive man-killing demon." Phoebe groaned.

"Not to mention, Paige here has to have that whitelighter conscience." Prue added.

Piper rolled her eyes at them and grabbed the Book of Shadows. "There's gotta be something in here." She insisted, mostly to herself.

"Manny" started for the stairs. "While you guys look, I'm going to go take a leak."

"Don't forget to put the seat back down!" Prue, Piper, and Phoebe yelled after him.

"Yeah, uh huh." "Manny" waved the request off.

Phoebe and Prue took over book duty as Piper got frustrated and began pacing around them. "Anything there?" Piper asked.

"No, nothing new." Prue answered. Phoebe felt her vision blur as a hot flash from the Succubus shot through her. She slowly dropped into a chair.

"Phoebe?" Piper called.

Phoebe saw "Manny" in the bathroom and Darla coming up behind him in the mirror. "Manny" spun around to face her. "She's here." Phoebe whispered. "The Succubus… she's in the house."

Prue looked horrified for a split second before she dashed out of the attic for the bathroom and "Manny." She had just disappeared when Phoebe and Piper heard a crash of breaking glass. "Paige?" Piper screamed, running out with Phoebe. They reached the door to the bathroom only to find Prue already in there and no "Manny."

"She's not here!" Prue exclaimed.

"Where'd she go?" Piper demanded. They turned around and saw the broken glass of the bathroom window.

~PO4~

San Francisco Police Department

"What do you mean, she took Pa…" Andy trailed off as Smith looked up at him. "… Manny." He corrected himself, offering Smith a glare that told him to get back to work. "I'm working on an address, Prue, but it hasn't come in yet. I'll call you back as soon as I get it." He promised and then hung up the phone. "Tell me you got that address, Smith."

"I don't remember signing up for this freak show." Smith snapped back but he turned back to his computer and pressed the print button on the page he had up.

Andy glared at him again but couldn't rightly berate him. "I'll give you your papers of reassignment when you give me that address." He offered.

"Gladly." Smith muttered, passing the hot papers to Andy.

Andy switched papers with Smith and then offered the rookie a slight nod. "You didn't see anything unusual tonight." He stated.

Smith nodded in agreement. "Deal." He looked away and Andy orbed out with the address.

~PO4~

Darla's Apartment

"Manny" was lying seemingly frozen on the bed as Darla advanced with seductive steps. "I watched your tape over and over again. The things you said, I…" She trailed off with a dreamy look. Her eyes flickered over him and she sat down on the edge of the bed. "You can't resist me…"

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"We have to find Paige or she's dead." Piper exclaimed, pacing around the room as was her specialty when she got nervous.

"I realize that, Piper. I'm trying to think of something." Prue returned harshly.

Phoebe looked up suddenly in realization. "I think I know what we can do!" She announced. She waited until Prue and Piper turned to face her. "I need your help though. Remember Paige and I could communicate during our crisis with Rodriguez. That's how she knew to shoot the fake me…" Phoebe started.

Piper nodded slightly. "Yeah, but her powers are all wonky because of her being a man. I don't think it will work." She pointed out.

"That's why I need your help. If Prue holds my hand, we'll be connected and since she's connected to you, you should be connected with us. All three of us should be able to connect with Paige through me, right?" Phoebe suggested.

"I don't know…" Piper mumbled.

"I think it's brilliant. And at least worth a shot." Prue decided. "Let's do it." She sat down right there in the floor with Phoebe and Piper joining on either side of her. All three fell silent as they attempted to connect with each other.

Is it working?

Shut up, Pheebs, I'm trying to concentrate.Silence…Ask if Piper can hear you.

Piper!

You don't have to yell, Phoebe! And yes I can hear you.

So everybody's here?

Can we just hurry this along? I'm getting a migraine and it's only been a couple minutes.

Yes, please. Alright, Pheebs, go find Paige's head.

Wait, how do I do that?

You're joking, right? This was your plan. How can you not know how you're going to do it?

You two are the experts here!

Alright, um, it's like finding the right thread. You just, uh, find Paige's thoughts and you follow it. You'll probably find her emotions first and if you keep following you'll reach her. Maybe.

Maybe? You know, I really don't have any idea what you just said. … What is that noise?

Prue, turn your cell phone off. I can't focus!

I can't. That would break the connection and I don't know if I'll be able to get it back up again. Freeze the room if you want it to shut up.

Easy for you to say.

Oh guys, I think I found her so keep up.

Darla caressed "Manny's" chest as she slowly moved to straddle him. "Tell me you want me." She pleaded.

"I want you." "Manny" repeated.

Ew… no Paige.

Repeat after me, Paige. You do not and will never want the psycho man-killing bitch.

"Tell me you need me." Darla continued.

"I need you."

Wrong answer! Wrong answer!

Phoebe, you try. Tell her she's a woman. Force her to say it aloud… maybe it'll jolt her out of the trance.

I bet this is really confusing to poor Paige… You're not a man, you're a woman. Say it. I'M A WOMAN!

"I'm a woman." "Manny" repeated aloud.

That's more like it.

Darla paused and looked at "Manny" with a funny look. "What?" She asked.

Ha! That face is priceless!

Oh my god, is that Andy that just orbed in? Please tell me it's not…

Andy took one look at "Manny" on the bed with Darla and he raced forward, pushing the oblivious woman off the bed. "Paige! Snap out of it!" Andy yelled to "Manny."

Darla stood back up and turned her attention to Andy, who froze. "Tell me I'm irresistible."

Do something, Phoebe, before she kills my fiancé.

Resist Paige! Only a man is powerless against her.

Damn it, Paige. If you don't stop her from killing Andy, I'm gonna be severely pissed off at you!

Quit yelling! She probably can't even think through it.

"Manny" stood up from the bed and stepped in front of Andy. "I can resist you. And, actually, I'm rejecting you." "Manny" stated.

"What? You can't resist me! I'm irresistible." Darla screeched, forgetting Andy and spinning to face "Manny". "Manny" advanced forward and Darla prepared to use her razor-sharp tongue. "Not this time. Back!" "Manny" ordered and Darla flew back into the wall and knocked over several candles. The candles caught the floor around her on fire and she was engulfed in them. The flames rose until she was vanquished with a final cry and they died away again.

White orbs surrounded "Manny" and seconds later, Paige had replaced him. She wrapped her arms around herself and squealed gleefully. "So, Andy, how do I look?" She asked, posing for him despite the much too large guy clothes she was wearing.

Andy glanced over her with a faint smile. "Much hotter than that blonde that's been giving you grief." He smirked to himself. "Both of them." He added with a nod to the scorch mark where Darla had been.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"Oh my god, you guys, I feel like I'm dying!" Prue exclaimed, collapsing to the floor on her back now that the connection was broken.

"You're telling me. I feel like half myself was vanquished with the Succubus." Phoebe groaned, allowing her head to drop into her hands.

Piper lightly patted Phoebe's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss but she wasn't good for you." She joked. Phoebe swatted in Piper's direction but missed and hit Prue instead.

"Ow, Pheebs!" Prue squealed.

"Anyone up for a drink tonight?" Piper suggested.

Prue raised her hand immediately. "Me! Pick me!"

~PO4~

P4

The next night, the sisters met for the show put on by the Cranberries. Paige was the last to arrive and she practically skipped toward her sisters.

Phoebe smiled as Paige joined them. "Oh, well, well… and I thought the heat wave was over." Phoebe teased.

"Yeah, Paige, you look hott." Piper agreed.

Paige looked down at her chosen dress for the night. "I'm just glad that I can steal Prue's clothes again. Oh and her shoes." She admitted with a pointed glance at Prue.

"You're lucky I missed seeing you wear them too." Prue grumbled but she smiled good-naturedly. "Seriously, though, it's great to see you."

"And you can walk without looking stupid!" Phoebe exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Paige's shoulder. "She's all ladyfied again." She fell into a fit of giggles.

Paige rolled her eyes at them. "If you guys are done making fun of me, I'm gonna go find Glen." She announced.

Piper nodded for her to go ahead. "Well, I'm personally glad you got over that disagreement." She admitted.

"Yeah, I learned a little about why men do what they do sometimes. Not everything's meant to make us angry." Paige agreed.

"As long as the lesson's learned at the end of the day." Prue pointed out with a hint of pride in her voice.

"We have differences, we have similarities, but we can't seem to communicate correctly half the time. It's really weird how that can screw everything up." Paige mused aloud.

Phoebe smiled mischievously at Piper. "Well, Piper, has learned something herself. Would you like to share?" She pressed eagerly.

Piper rolled her eyes but there was a large smile on her face. "Hmm… Thanks to my brother that I never wanted…" Piper cast a pointed look at Paige, who just grinned innocently.

"… I learned that sometimes you just have to be the one to open the door first. To take a chance."

Prue followed Piper's gaze to Dan. "It's about time. Good job, Missy Paige." She congratulated.

"You're welcome." Paige offered. Piper gave her one last smile before she joined Dan at the bar.

"So, what about you, Pheebs?" Prue wondered.

Phoebe tore her gaze away from Piper to look at Prue and Paige. "Me? I actually have an appointment with a doctor I've been dying to see. I'm still running a little bit hot." She joked, nodding her head in the direction of Owen. Phoebe waved goodbye to her sisters and walked to meet him.

"He winked at you." Prue teased as Phoebe passed by. Paige was left with Prue. "You can go on with your guy. Andy should be pulling into the parking lot any minute now." Prue allowed.

Paige nodded slightly. "Actually, he's about to come in the door." She corrected. "Tell him I said thank you again." Paige pleaded.

"Sure. Now go." Prue waved Paige off to join Glen.

~PO4~

The Cranberries had just started playing when Piper met up with Dan. "Glad you could make it." Piper admitted as they walked toward the dance floor.

"Are you kidding? I'm just glad you called. Truth is I've been waiting to call you for some time now." Dan laughed almost in embarrassment.

Piper smiled. "Really? I never would have guessed."

Dan waved his hand at the dance floor. "You wanna dance?" He asked.

"Sure." Piper agreed, allowing him to lead her forward where Phoebe and Owen had already begun to dance. They offered each other a quick wave before focusing solely on the guys that were moving them through the music.

~PO4~

Andy came up behind Prue and wrapped his arms around her waist. He followed her gaze where she was watching Paige and Glen talk something over. "I see she's back in the field." Andy observed.

"Mm… yeah. She told me to tell you she said 'thanks.'" Prue relayed without taking her eyes away from her sister.

"And I'll say it again. It was no problem." Andy replied. "Even if it was the weirdest thing you've ever asked me to do."

Prue looked thoughtful for a moment before she turned in Andy's arms to look up at him. "What did you say to her anyways?" She wondered.

"Believe me, you don't want to know." Andy laughed. He nodded in the direction of the dance floor with a questioning look.

"You'll tell me eventually." Prue warned but allowed him to pull her through the crowd to dance.

~PO4~

"Hey, Glen!" Paige greeted cheerfully. She ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck.

Glen stumbled but managed to catch himself. "Paige, hi. I guess you're feeling better…?" He asked, appearing surprised to see her.

Paige nodded enthusiastically. "I am and Prue told me that she saw you here last night instead of going camping so I figured you'd be here tonight also. I thought I'd surprise you." She smiled mischievously up at him. "Did it work?" She wondered.

"Yeah, I'd say it did." Glen replied before placing a kiss firmly on her lips.

Paige pulled away before it could deepen too much. After all, they had all night. "Can we dance?" Paige questioned hopefully.

"Of course. Lead the way." Glen offered. Paige took his hand firmly and pulled him to the dance floor with renewed fervor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And if anyone wanted to know, I made Paige the spotlight of this episode because in my rewrites she doesn't usually get to be the center of the main plot but of my own little created ones. Therefore, since Prue has an abundance of episodes that she's the star I decided it would be okay to take her out of some and put Paige in them while still mixing it up a little.


	9. That Old Black Magic Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to start deviating from the original order now. Ms. Hellfire is the next episode! Without furthur ado, go read

That Old Black Magic

The Mountainside

Paige, Glen, and two of Glen's acquaintances from his hiking club traveled down a rocky path. One guy, Ryan, had his map open that they were obviously following. Every one of them had large travel bags. Glen was helping Paige down the steep path when Ryan spoke.

"There. That's gotta be it!" Ryan announced, pointing to a small cave opening.

The other guy, Brad, looked doubtfully at the small opening. "I don't know. It looks kinda small to be a mine shaft, doesn't it?" Brad pointed out.

Ryan shrugged. "Maybe it was bigger in the 1800's." He suggested with a point at his map. "X marks the spot."

Glen had just managed to get Paige safely down and they joined the other two at the cave. "Did we find it?" Glen wondered enthusiastically.

"What exactly is supposed to be in that?" Paige demanded, eyeing the cave unimpressed.

"Gold, Paige." Glen answered, placing his arms around Paige's shoulder.

Ryan ducked down into the cave. "This has to be it. Let's check it out." He insisted. Ryan led the way with his flashlight and used his hand to knock away the spider webs that blocked the path.

Brad went down next and Paige followed with Glen bringing up the rear. After a few steps, the cave grew taller so that the guys could all stand up straight (Paige hadn't had that problem). They slowly made their way toward the back. Paige jumped and yelped in surprise

"Come on, toughen up, girl." Ryan joked.

Brad spoke up before Paige could snap back a retort. "Definitely not a good sign." He commented.

"I didn't know you were a girl too." Ryan retorted with a look at Brad.

"I resent that." Paige snapped, glaring at Ryan. "I was just surprised." She added for good measure.

"Yeah, my Paige isn't afraid of dead people." Glen laughed.

Their laughter caused a bunch of bats that had made their home in the cave to squeal and fly out around them. All four people jumped, but Ryan was the worst. "You were saying?" Brad returned.

"Glen, tell them to move along. This is just creepy." Paige pleaded, her hand was tight around his arm as she glanced around at the walls. They were making her feel a little claustrophobic.

Glen smiled reassuringly at her. "There's nothing in here." He assured her.

"We're going, Paige, we're going. Just a quick look." Ryan promised, leading the way farther in. Paige didn't move any farther forward and she held Glen back as well. "Bet you ten bucks this is where the gold is hidden." Ryan guessed, pointing at the back wall.

"Why's that?" Glen asked curiously.

"There's writing on it." Ryan explained.

Brad shone the light over the pictures and frowned. "I think these are warning signs."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Quit worrying about it." He berated while pulling out a hammer and chisel.

"Warning signs? What do you mean warning signs?" Paige demanded upon getting an eerie feeling. She was ignored as the two other men began chiseling at the wall. In a matter of seconds, dust was blowing out of the wall. Glen grabbed Paige and pulled her farther back from the dust and Brad and Ryan were forced back as well. The wall burst open and the dust began to settle to reveal a woman had been encased inside.

Her eyes snapped open upon sensing she was no longer in her prison. She had a snake wrapped around her neck and she slowly turned her gaze on Brad and Ryan. "I'm free…"

She whispered. "What year is this?" She then demanded from them.

Glen started to answer but Paige slapped her hand over his mouth as they hadn't been seen by the obviously magical woman. Paige sensed they didn't want to be seen either.

"1999." Ryan answered instead.

"Two hundred years…" the woman whispered to herself. Paige's eyebrows hit her hairline and her hand clenched Glen's arm tighter than before. The woman suddenly looked worried and turned back on Ryan and Brad. "My wand! Where is my wand?"

Ryan stumbled back a few steps. "Uh, what?" He asked, confused.

"My wand! Where is it?!" She screamed.

"We-we don't know what you're talking about." Brad stuttered.

The woman reached into a pouch that was around her waist and pulled some dust out. She threw it on Ryan and Brad and they shrunk down to a couple inches. "Too bad." She stated.

Glen moved toward them, his eyes wide in surprise but once again, Paige yanked him back in the hopes the crazy demon lady wouldn't notice them.

"What the hell just happened?" Ryan squeaked in his inch-sized voice.

Brad just shrugged. "I don't know. She shrunk us." He observed nervously.

The woman stepped around them and moved her snake from around her neck and let him slither onto a bucket that was hanging on the wall. She turned back to the two campers.

"What do you think she wants?" Ryan wondered.

"How should I know?" Brad snapped. "Uh, oh, here she comes. I told you this was too dangerous."

"Fine but what are we gonna do now?" Ryan countered, his voice rising.

She kneeled down next to them and reached for them but Paige, unable to wait any longer sprang out from where she and Glen were hiding. "Hey, leave them alone." Paige ordered, throwing her hand out at the other woman.

The woman was blasted back a few steps by a swirl of orbs but was unharmed. She reached in her pouch after eyeing Paige with a calculating expression. She threw some dust at Paige and it hit the ground in front of the youngest Halliwell. Paige found herself thrown backwards into the cave wall.

"Paige!" Glen yelled, running to his girlfriend's limp body to make sure she was marginally okay.

The woman ignored the two and grabbed the shrunken Brad and Ryan. She held the two men over her snake and the snake shot out and ate them. She turned back to find a horrified Glen helping Paige to her feet. Paige took one look at the other witch and orbed her and Glen safely out. The woman glanced back at her snake. "We'll deal with her later. First, find my wand." She ordered, sprinkling magical dust over her snake. It faded away to do her bidding.

~PO4~

Bucklands Auction House/ The Halliwell Manor

Prue hurried down the hallway of the auction house on her way to the room where 'What's It Worth?' was being recorded live. She had been chosen as the lucky appraiser to be on live television for the show. The only problem was Phoebe had decided to call her just before the recording.

"Phoebe, we are televising this live. Can't it wait?" Prue pleaded, more than a little stressed with the situation.

~PO4~

Phoebe ignored her plea as she felt what she was watching out of the conservatory window was more important. "Prue, Dan's truck just pulled up outside." Phoebe explained in all seriousness. From the window she watched as Piper and Dan made out next to it.

"Dan's truck?" Prue echoed, not finding anything important about that. "So?" She pressed.

"So, Piper is with him and they're kissing. And I'm not talking about 'thanks for lunch' peck on the cheek kinda kiss. They mean business." Phoebe insisted. She turned away abruptly and let the curtain fall between her view as their kiss began to heat up. She didn't feel much like watching it at the moment.

~PO4~

Prue smiled slightly at Phoebe's over-reaction. "Okay, what is the problem? They like each other. This is a good thing." Prue pointed out.

On the other end, Phoebe sighed in reluctant agreement. "No, I know, I'm just worried that she's moving too fast. Like she's too in a hurry to get involved with someone else." Phoebe admitted.

"Look, Piper's a big girl and really, I mean, it's none of our business. Right?" Prue prompted as she stopped at one of the tables with auction items on them. "Right?" She repeated when Phoebe didn't immediately agree.

~PO4~

Phoebe peeked back out the window. "Isn't it sorta our business?"

~PO4~

Prue shook her head slightly despite Phoebe being unable to see her. "Okay, Phoebe, Piper cannot just sit around for the rest of her life waiting for Leo. She's trying to move on." She explained gently. Her eyes caught sight of a wand on the auction table and she picked it up curiously for a better look. "Besides, Dan's a great guy." She added.

"Okay, we're on in five, Ms. Halliwell." The director of the show interrupted Prue's conversation.

Prue appeared a little panicked. "Uh, gotta go, okay, bye." She hung up hastily to get in position, her gaze still traveling over the wand.

~PO4~

Phoebe groaned at being cut off and tossed the phone onto the couch just as orbs filled the room. Paige was the first to appear but Phoebe was surprised to find Glen was with her. "Uh, Paige…" She trailed off as she realized mentioning Glen would be stating the obvious. "Um, I thought you guys had gone hiking." She amended hesitantly.

She was ignored as the two were locked in a heated stare down. "How long have you and your sisters been messing with the occult?" Glen demanded, his voice soft but hard beneath the surface.

"We haven't been messing with the occult." Paige denied as if his question had been an insult. "I'm a witch if you must know. A real one with powers. You saw what happened and whether you like it or not, they saved your life." She snapped for good measure. Glen shook his head as if to clear it of all the crazy information before he stormed into another room.

"You told him?" Phoebe managed to ask.

"Not exactly." Paige sighed. The words had barely left her mouth when a door slammed, signaling the departure of Glen, and another swirl of orbs deposited Leo in front of them.

Phoebe jumped slightly. "Whoa!" she exclaimed and then glared at Leo. "Leo, whatever happened to knocking?" She scolded.

"I'm sorry, Phoebe, but there's no time." He apologized with a pointed glance at Paige. "Where's Prue and Piper? We have to talk." Leo explained.

"Prue's at work…" Paige started after a quick glance at her watch.

Phoebe took the moment to glance out the window to find Dan and Piper coming up the stairs. "Uh, you know, now's not really a good time. Okay, I know, how about you orb back in say an hour." Phoebe suggested, pushing Leo away from the door. "Okay, that would be great. Bye bye."

"I can't. The worst thing imaginable just happened." Leo argued. Conversation was ended when the front door opened and Piper and Dan walked in amidst laughter. Piper froze when she saw Leo, Paige frowned even more than she had been, Phoebe sighed as Leo's face fell. He attempted to cover it up by turning his attention to Phoebe and Paige but the damage had already been done.

~PO4~

Piper drew Leo away from Dan and her sisters into another room. "It's not that it isn't great to see you, Leo, because it is, but you can't just orb in whenever it's convenient," Piper berated as calmly as she could.

"It's never been a problem before," Leo pointed out stiffly.

"Yeah, well, things have changed," Piper returned.

Leo's gaze settled invariably on Dan. "I can see that," he agreed with a not-so-subtle nod in Dan's direction.

"Leo…" Piper sighed.

"Sorry, wasn't fair," Leo interrupted before changing the subject to the reason he was here to begin with. "Where's Prue?" he asked even though Paige had already answered it. It was the only way he could start the conversation.

"At work," Piper answered simply.

Leo rolled his eyes as he should have expected such a short answer. "Fine," he muttered under his breath. "Then we'll have to start without her and your friend, Dan, has to leave now," he added.

Piper narrowed her eyes at his attitude. "Oh, really? Why?" she demanded.

"Because you and your sisters have a very big problem. A magical problem," he explained cryptically. "Look, this isn't personal. This is business and if you don't believe me then go ask Paige," Leo challenged.

Piper smiled at him humorlessly. "What else is new?"

~PO4~

Paige's gaze flickered from a very tense Piper and Leo to Dan and back again. She leaned toward Phoebe. "Since when did Piper start falling all over him?" Paige asked so that only Phoebe could hear her. Her eyes glanced at Dan pointedly.  
Phoebe just shrugged. "You should have been here fifteen minutes ago. They were making out," she whispered back with a disgusted look.

Dan, who was watching Piper and Leo through narrowed eyes, addressed the two other sisters. "You know, that handyman guy sure does hang around here a lot," he remarked suspiciously.

"It's an old house," Paige snapped at him.

"Yeah, and lots of things need fixing," Phoebe added in a falsely cheerful mood as if to make up for Paige's not-so-cheery mood.

Dan chanced a glance over his shoulder at them. "Then why does Piper look so upset?" Dan questioned.

Phoebe slapped a hand over Paige's mouth before she could answer. "Because there are some things he can't fix the way she wants it," she replied ambiguously.

Dan looked down at his watch and turned away from Piper and Leo. "You know, I'm late for a job. If you could just have her call me?" he suggested, walking towards the door.

Phoebe hastily ran after him. "Oh-Oh. Oops…" she stopped him and wiped lipstick off his face. "Lipstick," she explained, earning a snort from Paige.

"Thanks," he appreciated, opening the door while also ignoring Paige. Dan paused before leaving. "Are Piper and Leo…?"

Paige stepped forward this time and shoved Dan out the door. "Bye." She slammed it behind him and turned to find Phoebe watching her disapprovingly. "What? I'm not in the mood to cater to someone else's relationship crisis at the moment," Paige returned harshly.

Piper came rushing into the foyer. "Dan, wait!" she called after him but Paige had already shut him out. She sighed and threw her hands in the air. "Well, I wouldn't know where to begin anyway," she admitted to herself.

"Sorry, Piper. Shouldn't have pushed him out the door," Paige apologized with a sigh of her own.

Phoebe attempted to change the subject away from bad relationships. "Everything okay, sweetie?" she asked gently.

"Oh no," Piper stated, nodding in acknowledgement to Paige's apology. Piper sent a glare behind her at Leo as he came in the room. She then suddenly realized that Paige wasn't supposed to be here. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

Leo sighed but otherwise ignored the cold treatment and spoke up before Paige had a chance to answer. "Come on. We gotta get going," he insisted.

Phoebe tilted her head in surprise. "Going? Where are we going?" she wondered.

"I'll explain on the way," Leo promised.

Piper shook her head hastily. "No, Leo, you'll explain now. We're not going anywhere," she argued, crossing her arms across her chest for emphasis.

"Two hundred years ago, a good witch turned evil and started using her craft against evil. Fortunately, she was tricked in a cave and entombed, but unfortunately this morning she escaped," Leo explained a little reluctantly.

"Well, more accurately, we let her out," Paige corrected Leo's story.

Piper and Phoebe turned to face Paige. "What do you mean by that?" Piper demanded.

"That stupid hiking trip I went with Glen on. They were searching for gold or something based on some map. Being stupid guys that they were, they ignored the warning signs painted on the wall and broke into it and some creepy chick attacked us," Paige elaborated bitterly.

"Why didn't you stop them?" Phoebe asked before Piper could start her lecture.

"I didn't know they were warning signs and they didn't listen to anything I said anyways," Paige defended herself.

"What's done is done. Let's just work on fixing this," Leo suggested. "Now, Tuatha…"

"Tuatha?" Phoebe repeated with a smirk. "Who wouldn't go bad with a name like that?" she joked.

Piper glanced at Phoebe impatiently before fixing Leo with her cold gaze. "So you want us to find her and vanquish her," she guessed. "What's the big deal?" Piper prompted.

"The big deal is you can't vanquish her. No witch can. She kills good witches," Leo answered.

Paige muttered something under her breath that sounded distinctly like 'oh great.' "How can I fix it then?" she questioned.

"You can't. There's only one person who can. He's known as the Chosen One," Leo explained, shifting his eyes away from Piper to rest on Paige.

"The Chosen One? Is he a witch?" Phoebe asked.

Leo shook his head slightly. "No, he's a normal person. Other than the fact that he was born to use Tuatha's wand against her."

"So what do you want from us? Why don't you just go get him?" Piper pressed.

"I need you to protect him from Tuatha until the wand comes to him. It shouldn't be long," Leo assured them. "Lore has it that once the witch is free, the wand will find him, but if she finds it first…" he trailed off pointedly.

"She'll kill the Chosen One," Phoebe finished grimly.

Leo nodded. "And then she'll come after you too," he added.

Paige thought the situation over for a moment. "So where is he?" she inquired.

~PO4~

Bucklands Auction House

Prue was in the middle of her televised appraisal of the wand she had been looking at just before going on TV. The camera was currently zoomed in on the wand but as Prue spoke, it zoomed out to see her and her elder client clearly.  
"… the design of inlaid garnets with pewter and ebony is distinctly eighteenth century European," Prue explained.

The elder woman looked surprised at the information. "Eighteenth century? I had no idea it was that old," she admitted.

Prue smiled and pointed at another interesting feature on the wand. "The facet cut amber headpiece surrounded by the symbolic snakes suggested that it was an ornamental staff or a ritual wand," Prue continued.

"And I bought it at a flea market for fifteen dollars," the client laughed.

"Betty, you'll be very pleased to hear that at auction you could easily get five thousand dollars," Prue announced while gently setting the wand down on the table in front of her.

Betty's eyes widened. "Good lord," she exclaimed.

One of the onlookers of the recording, suddenly cut in between Prue and Betty. "Of course, an item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it," he pointed out, looking into the camera. He then turned to face a surprised Prue. "Isn't that right?" he pressed.

Prue glanced at the director to find him nodding for her to go along with the guy. She just looked at the third party. "I'm sorry, who are you?" she demanded.

He pulled a business card out of his pocket and allowed for the camera to get a good look at it. "Jack Sheridan from Sheridan Internet Auctions. If you own it, I can sell it," he answered before giving the card to Betty.

"Oh, okay, how nice for you, but this is my appraisal," Prue replied, her voice carefully controlled.

Jack nodded in agreement. "Oh and it's a very impressive one too," he complimented, "but can you guarantee this nice lady that someone will actually pay five thousand dollars for this at auction?" Jack questioned, moving to stand behind Betty.

Prue frowned slightly. "Well, there are no guarantees but…"

"Thirty seconds," the director whispered, interrupting Prue's train of thought.

"Betty, I'm willing to give you one thousand dollars cash today," Jack offered.

"Yeah, well, then you'd be robbing her of four thousand dollars," Prue pointed out stiffly.

Jack smirked. "But you said yourself that you can't guarantee that," he countered. His smile widened as Prue realized she was caught in a trap.

"Well, I suppose you just have a thousand dollars cash in your pocket," Prue retorted in disbelief.

"Would you like to find out yourself?" Jack allowed, an underlying insinuation clear in his voice.

Prue didn't bat an eye. "No need. I can tell there's not much there just by looking," she replied with a pointed glance down.

Jack laughed and there was more than one snicker that erupted around the set. "Betty, I can have one thousand dollars cash for you this afternoon. What do you say?" he asked after recovering the floor.

Betty slapped a hand against the table. "I say sold," she agreed, bending down to write her name and address on a piece of paper. Prue just rolled her eyes in frustration. "Here's my address and I'll see you there this afternoon," Betty suggested while passing him the paper.

"It's a deal," Jack promised as Betty snatched up her wand and left.

"Cut! That's a wrap," the director announced with a satisfied clap of his hands. "Excellent folks. Very entertaining," he admitted with a nod to Prue.

"Yeah, for you," Prue sulked before turning to face Sheridan with as much dignity as she could muster.

Jack was the first to speak. "Look, forgive me. I just wanted to be on the same stage as Prue Halliwell," Jack explained hopefully.

Prue narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Why?" she demanded shortly.

"Because it gives my start-up company instant credibility, that's why," Jack answered. He paused, regarding her with interest as Prue turned to leave without a word. "You know, if the other specialists at Bucklands have your expertise and talents…" he trailed off with another look over her that made her roll her eyes. "… I might reconsider their standing job offer. I turned them down last year," Jack added.

"You wouldn't like it here, Mr. Sheridan. We don't lie or cheat," Prue snapped.

Jack's smile widened again. "But I don't lie," he assured her before checking his watch. "You know what, I better get to the bank. I have a wand to buy," he stated, turning to leave.

"Wanna bet?" Prue whispered under her breath. She smirked and flicked a finger toward her and Betty's address flew out of Jack's pocket to land in her hand. She closed her hand around it and gave a satisfied nod to herself.

~PO4~

Outside a High School

Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Leo walked down the sidewalk that led to the front of the high school. "I don't know, an evil witch that gets her jolly's killing good witches? Maybe we should have waited for Prue to get home…" Piper admitted.

"There's no time," Leo shot down the idea before the words had even left Piper's mouth.

"Okay, please tell me we're here because the Chosen One is a big burly football coach," Phoebe pleaded while looking over the crowd of teenagers doubtfully.

"No," Leo answered, "but he is the seventh son of the seventh son," he offered.

Paige glanced at Leo in exasperation. "Yes, because that is so much better," she agreed sarcastically.

"We've been watching him since he was a young boy," Leo added after giving Paige a disapproving look.

Piper turned her attention to the crowd of students. "Okay, so how old is he now?" Piper prompted.

Leo pointed to the steps where a teenager was just coming out of the building. "See, over there," he stated and the three sisters all followed his point.

"He's a high school student?" Piper realized in disbelief.

As they watched, a group of students came up behind the Chosen One and pushed him around. Phoebe frowned sympathetically. "Oh and he's a nerd," she sighed.

"Hey, I didn't choose him. They did. If he can help save your lives, that's all I care about," Leo berated.

"Oh my god!" Paige exclaimed, hastily turning away as she saw someone that she wasn't sure she wanted to be recognized by.

Phoebe stared at her funny while Leo and Piper turned to see what had caused the reaction from Paige. "Who're you hiding from, Paigey?" Phoebe wondered aloud.

Piper's eyes widened slightly. "Is that-that girl again? The one from the ingredient store a few weeks ago?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at the vaguely familiar face.

"Jana, yeah," Paige supplied, "and imagine that… she's talking to the Chosen One," she added.

Phoebe still looked confused. "What is she a witch or something?"

"Not that I'm aware of but this is the second time she's randomly appeared during a magical crisis," Paige stated as she watched her classmate join the Chosen One.

"You guys need to get him to come with you," Leo interrupted impatiently.

Piper shook her head. "Leo, he's a teenager. How can we let him go up against Tuatha? She'll destroy him," she argued.

"Not if he finds the wand and learns how to use it. Besides, she knows he's the Chosen One. If we don't help him, she'll destroy him anyway," Leo retorted.

"Doesn't sound like we have much of a choice," Phoebe pointed out mildly. They watched as the Chosen One demonstrated a few magic tricks to Jana, who smiled and offered a few compliments.

"Wait, what about Jana? She's gonna be really suspicious of me now if she isn't already," Paige announced, effectively stopping her sisters and Leo from going to get the Chosen One.

Phoebe shrugged. "If we can't get her to leave then we'll just have to bring her with us," she decided, "Come on," Phoebe added while waving for her sisters to follow.

"This is wrong. He should be battling acne at his age, not evil witches," Piper grumbled with a sigh in her voice.

"Yeah but look at us. Do we look like we should be the all powerful Charmed Ones?" Phoebe asked. She narrowed her eyes when Paige opened her mouth to obviously make a teasing remark. "You know what? Don't answer that," she ordered.

Piper had ignored the brief exchange as she watched the Chosen One and Jana. "What's his name?" she inquired, glancing over her shoulder at Leo.

"Kyle. Kyle Gwydien," Leo answered.

"Does he, or her for that matter, know?" Paige questioned, hands on hips as she turned her attention to them.

"No," Leo admitted sheepishly.

Piper rolled her eyes as if she should have expected no help from Leo and his superiors. "Any ideas on how we're supposed to get him to come with us?"

"I have an idea," Phoebe announced, "He likes magic, right? So let's show him ours," she suggested. "And since Paige already knows Jana, it shouldn't be too hard to get her to trust us," Phoebe added helpfully.

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige ran along the sidewalk behind where Kyle and Jana were walking. "Hey, Jana!" Paige called to get their attention.

Jana turned around, her green eyes widening in surprise as she recognized Paige and maybe even Piper a little. "Uh, hi, Paige," she greeted. She pushed her blondish brown hair away from her face and stopped walking to let the three sisters catch up.

Paige hesitated but spoke again after Phoebe elbowed her in the side. "Um, this is my sister Phoebe and you've already met Piper," she introduced, pointing to her sisters respectively.

"It's nice to meet you guys," Jana offered with a wave to Phoebe and Piper.

"And your name's Kyle, right?" Phoebe guessed. Her gaze rested on Kyle and she ignored the warning look Paige gave her and the surprised look Jana had.

Kyle tilted his head to the side. "Do I know you?" he asked.

"Not yet but you will. You'll know all three of us," Phoebe promised. Paige blushed deeply as Jana eyed her suspiciously. After all, her sisters were acting kind of creepy at the moment. Almost stalkerish.

"I think you might have me confused with someone else," Kyle stated. He shrugged to Jana before continuing his way down the sidewalk. Jana hesitated following after him until she got some kind of explanation from Paige.  
Phoebe and Piper followed Kyle.

"Nope, you're the one," Piper insisted.

Phoebe cut in front of Kyle. "The Chosen One," she elaborated.

Paige slowly met Jana's eyes. "They don't usually talk this crazy, I promise," Paige offered, unable to really explain anything. "Phoebe, lay off," she called to her elder sisters.

"You heard what Leo said, clocks are ticking," Phoebe yelled back over her shoulder before she faced Kyle. "Hey, Kyle, do you believe in magic? Real magic?" she inquired curiously.

Kyle stared at them as if they were crazy. "I gotta go," he decided, pushing past them.

"The Chosen One?" Jana repeated in surprise.

"We'll explain if you get him to come with us," Paige bargained with a nod in Kyle's direction. "Piper." She waited until she had Piper's attention before flicking her wrists like Piper did to freeze.

Jana watched them curiously. "Hey, Kyle, wait."

Kyle turned around to see what Jana was doing but as soon as he did, Piper flicked her wrists and the street (and Kyle and Jana) froze. "Now what?" Piper questioned.

"You guys wait there," Phoebe ordered. She hastily ran around to stand behind Kyle. Piper allowed the street to unfreeze. Both Jana and Kyle looked around for the suddenly disappeared Phoebe. "Over here," she called.

Kyle jumped away at finding Phoebe right behind him. "How'd you do that?" he demanded.

"Magic. Wanna know more?" Phoebe wondered. Her eyes flickered to see how Jana was taking the news to find her with a calculating expression, but not the surprise that Kyle had.

~PO4~

Betty's House

Betty carefully went about making tea for her guest that would arrive soon and placed the tea set on the table in the conservatory. The wand sat just on the other side of the table. While Betty prepared for Jack's arrival, a gentle breeze blew through her open window and Tuatha's snake faded in on the carpet. Betty had just sat down on her couch when she noticed the large boa on her floor. She jumped up in panic. "Oh! Oh! Help me! Somebody!" she screamed. Betty snatched up the wand, prepared to hit the snake with it if she had to. "Help me!" she screeched again while backing up against the wall.

There was a golden shimmer just next to the snake and Tuatha appeared. Betty looked stunned but Tuatha didn't offer her any attention. Tuatha glanced down at her snake. "Well done," she complimented. Her eyes then landed on the wand that Betty was holding. "That's my wand," Tuatha stated, holding her hand out. The wand flew from Betty's hand and into Tuatha's. The wand began to glow as soon as Tuatha's hand closed around it.

"My god, who are you?" Betty exclaimed.

Tuatha smirked and pointed her wand at Betty. "The last thing you will ever see," she stated. Betty let out a piercing scream.

~PO4~

Prue was walking casually down the hallway of the complex when she heard Betty's scream. "Betty," Prue whispered, immediately picking up the pace. She used her power to throw the door open and found Tuatha using her wand against the elderly woman. Prue waved her hand at Tuatha but she wasn't quick enough as Betty was vanquished just before Tuatha was thrown through a glass door and collapsed upon a table. Her wand slipped from her grasp. Prue hastily grabbed up the wand and took off after seeing the snake.

Tuatha jumped to her feet in time to see Prue leaving with her wand. She glanced at her snake as it let out a long hiss. "No, it's alright. We don't have to follow her," she assured, bending down and picking the snake up off the floor. "She's a good witch. She'll come back to us," Tuatha explained while wrapping the snake around her neck.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"So you're witches?" Kyle repeated, staring across at Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Leo in disbelief. Jana sat next to him but for some reason he couldn't fathom, she seemed interested in the theory they were proposing.

"Right," Piper answered with a nod to him.

"And you think my cousin is the Chosen One?" Jana asked. She glanced at Paige thoughtfully.

Paige reluctantly nodded. "Something like that," she admitted.

Kyle continued to look stunned at them. "And-and-and why exactly am I the Chosen One again?" he managed to stammer out the question.

"Because you're the only one who can defeat Tuatha," Leo explained.

"Leo, please," Piper scolded with a concerned look at Kyle.

Leo narrowed his eyes in frustration at Piper. "Look, I'm sorry but we don't have a lot of time here," he pointed out icily.

"All the more reason not to freak Kyle out," Piper argued.

Kyle dropped his head into his hands. "Too late," he muttered, his voice muffled by his hands. He suddenly stood up from his seat and paced around the room.

Phoebe slowly followed him after exchanging a glance with her sisters and Leo. "Look, Kyle, I know that this is a lot for you to take in and your first instinct is probably to resist it. I mean, I know that's how we felt when we first found out we were witches," Phoebe admitted soothingly.

"Piper still feels that way half the time," Paige added, casting Piper a teasing look.

Piper just glared while Phoebe smiled at the comment before continuing. "But we've learned that you cannot fight your destiny. It's like fighting who you are, who you're meant to be," Phoebe insisted.

"And your destiny is to vanquish the evil witch, Tuatha," Leo stated.

Jana laughed softly at Leo's cut in, earning looks from all three sisters and Leo. "Way to ruin the great pep talk by reminding him of what he's supposed to do," she congratulated sarcastically.

Kyle was looking a bit green in the face. "I bet one of my brothers put you up to this, right? What, Sean? No, no, I bet, I bet it was Ian. Or Dillon? I'm always the butt of their jokes," Kyle ranted, stalking off toward the front door.

"Oh, come on, Kyle, none of your brothers are this creative," Jana pointed out. She really appeared amused by the whole situation.

Kyle spun to look at her. "No, this is a crazy joke. I'm not the Chosen One. I'm no one. They've made a mistake and if you believe what they're saying then you're even crazier," he snapped.

"Kyle, wait," Leo called, hurriedly following the teenager.

Jana smiled apologetically to the sisters. "I think he's just a little overwhelmed," she offered.

"Let me try," Paige offered before orbing out and orbing in front of Kyle, which effectively caused him to slide to an abrupt halt. "Listen, Kyle. Forget what they said. Forget the Chosen One talk and listen to what you're feeling. If you feel like leaving, no one's going to stop you, but I'm willing to bet you're more interested than you want to admit," Paige guessed, crossing her arms for emphasis.

Kyle hesitated and very slowly, as if in slow motion, he slid his book bag off his shoulder and let it drop to the ground. A silent agreement to stay at least a little longer. Before anything could be said, Prue walked through the front door. 

"Whoa, who are you?" Prue asked in surprise. The wand began to glow from her hand as it sensed Kyle was near. "It glowed…" Prue exclaimed, staring at the wand in confusion.

"That's the wand. It has to be. It recognizes you, Kyle," Leo insisted.

Prue spun around to face Leo with a confused look on her face. "Recognizes? What do you mean?" Prue questioned.

Paige wrapped an arm around Prue's shoulder and spun her face Jana, who was standing in the doorway to the conservatory and watching Kyle curiously. "Uh, Jana, this is my eldest and only other sister, Prue," she introduced. "Prue, this is Jana, she's in my college class and Kyle is her cousin," Paige continued courteously.

Prue offered them a slight wave while Piper narrowed her eyes at the wand in Prue's hand. "Where did you get that?" Piper inquired.

"From someone that I think I should tell you about in private," Prue answered before telepathically explaining what had happened. A client was going to get ripped off by another appraiser so I went to talk her out of it and there was this demon person that…

"Somebody named Tuatha?" Phoebe interrupted Prue's train of thought.

Prue tilted her head to the side. "Tuatha?" she repeated.

Phoebe seemed to realize that Prue didn't recognize the name. She waved her hand for Prue to forget about it. "Let Kyle hold the wand," Phoebe suggested.

Prue met everyone's gaze to make sure they were all fine with it before she held it out for Kyle. Kyle hesitated, shaking his head and refusing to even touch it. "Oh, Kyle, go for it," Jana encouraged eagerly.

"It won't hurt you," Leo assured him.

Kyle frowned but reached out and took it from Prue. It immediately began to glow. "Oh!" Prue exclaimed, jerking her hand away.

"It found you, just like it's supposed to," Leo explained.

Prue still looked confused but decided the Book of Shadows was always her best bet. "Okay, time out. Attic anyone?" she suggested, already heading for the stairs. Paige was right behind her.

Piper started to follow but paused to look back at Kyle. "Kyle, won't you go into the kitchen and help yourself to anything you want," she offered. "Jana too. That is if you're staying."

Jana and Kyle exchanged a glance. "We're staying," Jana answered for them.

"I don't know for how long though," Kyle added, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the wand in his hand.

Phoebe and Piper ran up the stairs. Leo backed after them. "I'll be right back," he promised before following up. Jana glanced at Kyle and took the stairs after the four sisters and the whitelighter.

~PO4~

"Leo, he's just a kid. Besides, you haven't seen Tuatha's power. I mean, she made a woman disappear literally," Prue argued against the current plan of using Kyle.

"That bad?" Jana asked, her eyes worried.

Everyone turned around to face Jana and conversation ceased as they weren't sure what exactly to say with her there. Prue finally came to the conclusion that Jana would be okay to include. "That and… I just don't want to risk anything happening to him if we can help it," Prue explained.

"I appreciate it. I kind of like having him around," Jana admitted.

Leo rolled his eyes in frustration. "It's his destiny to defeat Tuatha, Prue," he countered.

"Then why did I get the wand?" Prue retorted.

"To make sure it got to him. It's part of the lore. If you guys were meant to defeat Tuatha, there would be a spell in the Book of Shadows and there's not," Leo insisted.

"He's right, we checked," Piper stated with a sigh in her voice.

Phoebe nodded in agreement. "Twice," she added.

"Which means we need to spend what little time we have teaching Kyle how to use the wand," Leo continued.

Paige stepped in before Prue got too angry at him. "Leo, listen, we don't know how to even use a wand so we don't need to be here. You're the one that has to help Kyle. And I'm with Prue. I don't think we should just throw Kyle out to the crazy lady. Besides, if we confront her than at least we're buying you more time to teach Kyle in case we fail," Paige offered with a glance at Prue to see if she agreed.

"She'll kill you," Leo warned despite knowing it would do nothing to deter them now that two sisters had agreed.

"Don't bet on it," Prue returned. "Alright, we need to start by finding where Tuatha is before she finds us," she started.

Paige raised her hand. "I know where she is," she announced.

"Okay, let's grab some potions downstairs and let's go," Prue decided, leading the way to the attic door with Phoebe, Paige, and Jana with her. She paused at the doorway. "Are you with us, Piper?"

Piper's eyes flickered to find Leo staring at her almost pleadingly. "Yep," Piper assured them, hurriedly passing by Leo and after her sisters. Leo reluctantly followed after them.

~PO4~

Kyle moved into the kitchen but still kept his eyes focused on the wand as he scanned over it curiously. He only looked up when the back door opened and Jenny walked in.

"Hey, it's me," Jenny announced before stopping upon seeing the unfamiliar teenager in front of her.

"Uh, hi," Kyle greeted awkwardly.

Jenny smiled at him. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Apparently, I'm the Chosen One," Kyle answered, partially joking with her while he waved his wand for her to see.

Jenny didn't immediately reply but regarded him with interest. "I haven't seen you around before. What's your name?" she inquired.

"Kyle," he replied.

"Jenny," she introduced herself, "Are you friends of theirs?" Jenny wondered, hinting toward the sisters.

Kyle shook his head hastily. "No, no, my cousin knows one of them. I'm just helping them out with something… maybe. I don't know," he rambled with a shrug.

"Well, what's that?" Jenny asked, pointing at the wand.

Kyle smiled slyly. "It's magic."

Jenny looked at him disbelievingly. "I don't believe in magic," she told him, almost challenging him to prove it.

Kyle couldn't contain the smirk that crossed his face. "You're kidding. Everyone believes in magic," he argued lightly.

"Not me," Jenny insisted. In an effort to prove her wrong, Kyle put the wand on the tip of his finger and it started spinning of it's own accord. Jenny's eyes widened and she had to push her hair away from her face as the wand spun so fast that it struck up a slight breeze. "That is so cool. How are you doing that?" she demanded.

Kyle appeared just as surprised as Jenny. "I have no idea," he admitted.

Leo walked into the kitchen at that moment to find Kyle showing his wand off to Jenny. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he interrupted.

Kyle jumped and his wand stopped spinning and slipped off his finger. He had to grab at it to stop it from hitting the floor. "I-I was just…"

"Telling your friend goodbye," Leo finished for him.

Jenny glared at Leo. "Fine I can take a hint," she snapped before facing Kyle with a softer expression. "Just tell Piper that my Uncle Dan needs to talk to her, okay?" Jenny pleaded.

"Sure," Kyle agreed, nodding slightly to her.

Jenny waved as she turned to leave. "Bye," she called over her shoulder.

Leo waited until the door closed behind her before speaking to Kyle. "So, you still think you're not the Chosen One?"

~PO4~

Tuatha's Cave

Tuatha shifted the rubble, that had once been the wall that entombed her, around until she uncovered a large worn grimoire. "There you are," she said to herself while wiping the dust off the front cover of the book. She opened it and flipped through several pages until she found one titled 'To Disempower a Witch.' "A fresh human heart," Tuatha read, trailing off thoughtfully.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Paige spread out a map on the kitchen table of the area she, Glen, and his friends had been hiking. "We were somewhere around here," she offered, circling a section with a red pen.

Prue pointed to a part just inside the circle. "Here's the Mercer Caverns," she stated.

"But there's also the Lost Caves right here," Piper pointed out.

Paige frowned slightly. "Well, the Lost Caves sounds more promising," she admitted.

"I don't know, I kinda think the Infernal Caverns is better," Phoebe argued while pointing to a part on the map that was well within the circled area.

"Maybe we should ask Glen. We don't have time to go to all the caves in this area," Prue suggested with a glance in Paige's direction.

Paige sighed but nodded reluctantly. "I'll go call him," Paige agreed. She stomped off to the phone.

Prue appeared confused by Paige's reluctance. "I thought they made up weeks ago?"

"Glen saw Paige use her magic in the cave."

"Ooh…"

"While she's doing that, I'm going to try scrying," Phoebe announced, pulling the Book of Shadows toward her and effectively interrupting Prue and Piper's silent conversation.

"Scrying?" Piper repeated questioningly.

"It's what witches use to magically find something or someone. It says we need a map, a piece of string, and a crystal," Phoebe explained. She stood up and hurried off to find everything they needed.

~PO4~

The Mountainside

Two young men traveled together through the thick underbrush. One had his camera pointed at himself and he was speaking to it while the other stubbornly ignored his companion.

"Day three. We're definitely lost in the woods. Separated from the other two. Running out of food, water, a little scared," the first guy documented to his camera.

The second rolled his eyes. "Of the three, how did I manage to get stuck with you?" he muttered under his breath. They both halted when Tuatha stepped out in front of them.

The camera guy swiveled his camera around to take in the witch.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" Tuatha asked in a falsely apologetic tone.

"No," the second guy replied. He was obviously lying.

Tuatha smiled and slowly approached the two. "Are you lost?" she questioned.

"Yeah, totally. Just walking around in circles," the camera guy admitted, almost embarrassed. "Us and a couple of friends were making a documentary on the Blair Witch," he explained to her.

Tuatha reached into her pocket and pulled out two pinches of magic dust. She threw them on the chest of both men before shoving her hands inside them to grab their heart. "Did you know it takes fifteen to twenty seconds for a person to die after their heart has been damaged? And since that time is almost up, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for yours." Tuatha pulled her hands out, each holding a heart and both men fell over, dead. She looked at their bodies in disgust and then turned and left.


	10. That Old Black Magic Part 2

The Halliwell Manor

Phoebe allowed the crystal to swing over the map until it dropped down at a certain point which so happened to be inside Paige's red circle. "Okay, we found her. Lost Caves, Mura woods," Phoebe announced just as Paige came in.

"Oh, you mean I called Glen and he's coming over here for nothing?" Paige groaned.

"You need to talk this over with him anyways," Piper pointed out.

Paige narrowed her eyes slightly. "You're one to talk," she replied with a nod in the direction of Leo.

Prue smiled and nodded in agreement. "She's got you there, Piper," she laughed.

"You guys can all chat later," Phoebe interrupted. "Let's go," Phoebe ordered, leading the way to the foyer.

~PO4~

Kyle, Leo, and Jana had moved back to the solarium where Jana was resting comfortably on the couch watching Kyle and Leo stood beside Kyle, watching and critiquing. Kyle was attempting to make the wand spin on his finger again, but it kept slipping off and falling. One particular attempt sent the wand crashing into the floor with a loud clang.

"Yeah, I can't make it do it again," Kyle admitted, not even bothering to reach down and pick it back up.

Leo picked it up for Kyle and held it out for him. "You did it before," Leo reminded him.

Kyle shrugged and refused to take the wand again. "I don't know how. I mean, I was just trying to impress Jenny, that's all."

"Then focus on that again," Jana offered. She swung around and stood up from the couch before joining Leo and Kyle. She took the wand from Leo and pushed it into Kyle's hand.

"Pretend she's still here and remember what you were feeling," she challenged, stepping back with her arms crossed.

Kyle sighed and allowed the wand to rest on his finger. His face drew up in concentration and the wand balanced but didn't spin. After a few moments, it dropped and Kyle just barely managed to catch it. "See?" he snapped.

"That was better," Jana encouraged.

"It works because you willed it to so put more into it," Leo suggested, earning a glare from Jana.

"So what? I'm supposed to will some evil witch dead? Why me? You know, I don't understand, out of all people," Kyle ranted in frustration.

Leo clapped Kyle on the shoulder. "Don't sell yourself short, Kyle. You saw what you did before. Now that was you. All you have to do is believe in yourself. Now try it again," Leo ordered.

Before Kyle could attempt it again, Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige walked in. "Leo, we found her," Phoebe explained to him quickly.

"So we're gonna go pay her a little visit," Prue added.

Leo shook his head. "No, wait, don't, please," Leo pleaded.

"It's nothing personal, Leo. It's just business," Piper assured him, albeit rather coldly.

Leo looked hopefully to Paige. "It's better this way, really," Paige insisted with an apologetic shrug. "Ready?" Paige asked her sisters who had all joined hands. She was about to orb them out when the doorbell rang and she hesitated.

"I'll get it," Prue offered with a slight frown at being delayed.

"No, it's probably Glen so Paige should get it," Phoebe argued, ushering Paige forward with a wave of her hand. Paige groaned loudly and stalked over to the door with her sisters trailing after her.

Paige pulled the door open, fully prepared to drag Glen inside and leave him with Leo so she and her sisters could visit Tuatha, but she hesitated when it wasn't Glen on the other side of the door. In fact, she didn't know who it was.

"You," Prue realized aloud in an accusatory voice.

Jack was surprised at first when he didn't recognize Paige but quickly spotted Prue just behind her sister. "Ah, thrilled to see me, I see," he stated sarcastically. His eyes scanned over the front of the house, ignoring the looks Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were exchanging in regards to him. "You know, this is a really nice house, Prue. Bucklands obviously pays better than I thought," he complimented.

Prue crossed her arms and stepped in front of her sisters. "What do you want and how did you find me?" she demanded.

"I followed your scent…" Jack started. Prue rolled her eyes and glanced behind her at her sisters who each had an unimpressed look on their face. "… That musk. The Cartier, right?" he guessed. "Now that is a classy perfume though I'm hardly surprised. Can I have my wand back, please?" he asked suddenly. Prue didn't answer so he continued. "See, Betty never called and I couldn't contact her because her address mysteriously fell out of my pocket somehow. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?" Jack pressed.

Prue laughed and shifted so that she was leaning against the doorframe. "So you're blaming me for something that you lost. Isn't that a little juvenile? I mean, what's next? A shoving match under the jungle gym or war over juice cups?"

Piper rolled her eyes at the exchange. "Prue, we really need to get going," she reminded. Phoebe and Paige just looked interested in the conversation as it began to heat up.

"The wand is mine, Prue, and you know it. All's fair in love and war," Jack insisted as Leo came up behind the sisters to see what was going on.

"Piper?" Dan called from behind Jack. Glen was also on the doorstep, looking rather confused at the line-up of guys to get inside the Manor.

Piper forced a smile while Phoebe cast a nervous glance behind them at Leo and Paige waved half-heartedly to Glen. "Hi, Dan," Piper greeted.

"Piper, wait," Leo pleaded, stopping once he saw Dan in the doorway.

Dan's smile became suddenly forced. "Is he still here?" Dan asked through clenched teeth.

"Never left actually," Leo gloated. His smile didn't have to be forced.

"Ouch…" Paige mumbled, attempting to stifle her giggles behind a cough.

Glen's eyes flickered over each of the sisters and the guys where there was obviously tension between pretty much everyone. "Should I come back later?" he offered, backing down a step.

Jack spoke up before the sisters could. "Prue, I'm kinda in a hurry here so if I could just get my wand," Jack prompted for quicker action.

Phoebe jumped in as another smart-ass match was about to begin. "You know what, Dan, Piper will call you back later, Glen, you get in here…" Phoebe shoved Dan out the front door and jerked Glen inside before spinning on Jack. "… You, whoever you are, sorry, no wand, Leo, keep working with Kyle just in case, us, out the back door, out the back door," she ordered and then pushed her sisters toward the kitchen.

The guys were left at the front door. "Paige, I thought we were supposed to talk," Glen called after his departing girlfriend.

"Later!" was her response.

He shrugged and fell silent only to noticed Leo and Dan having a glaring contest. Jack just looked stunned at being left the way he was.

"Don't you have some other house to repair?" Dan asked shortly.

"No," Leo replied with a smug smile.

~PO4~

The Lost Caves

Paige led the way down to the cave entrance with Piper and Phoebe right behind her. Prue was bringing up the rear, talking into her phone.

"You guys should have just let me orb here. It would have been so much quicker," Paige grumbled as they came to the last drop that would put them at the front of the cave.

"We would have never gotten them to leave if they didn't see us leave," Piper argued.

Phoebe slipped past Paige, her eyes scanning the area. "We should be getting close. Hey, there it is!" she announced upon seeing the cave. "Hey, Prue, get off the phone. We're here," she called over her shoulder.

Prue nodded to her in acknowledgement. "Alright, Andy, I gotta go… We'll be careful, I promise… Yeah… Oh, don't forget to ask Darryl to be the best man… Love you too. Bye…" Prue hung up and faced the dark cave.

"Kinda creepy in there and dark," Piper commented.

"That's what I said and the guys made fun of me," Paige stated matter-of-factly, earning a soothing pat on the shoulder from Phoebe.

"Alright, well, Paige and I will go in first since she only knows about the two of us. You guys wait a couple of seconds and then follow," Prue ordered. She waited until her sisters nodded before linking arms with Paige and the two descended inside.

Prue flipped a flashlight on so she and Paige could see. "Okay, so there were bats in here…" Paige started but trailed off as a hoard of bats flew around them and out the cave.

Prue yelped in surprise while Paige jumped at the bats' screeching.

"Oh my god!" Prue squealed as her flashlight landed on the skeleton.

"Focus, Prue," Paige snapped, pulling Prue away from the skeleton. They both continued forward with slow wary steps.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay," Prue whispered encouragingly under her breath.

Paige pointed at the fallen wall where Tuatha had been entombed. "She came from right there," she explained. Paige circled slowly while Prue continued to scan over the rubble.

"Oh, Prue, this wasn't here before," Paige called for Prue's attention to be given to a stone slab where a set of bones and two hearts lay.

Tuatha stepped out behind them. "Thank you for not keeping me waiting long," she appreciated.

Prue gasped and Paige spun around to meet the evil witch again. They exchanged a nervous glance before Prue spoke. "How did you know that…"

"You witches are always so predictable," Tuatha answered.

Prue glared at Tuatha and waved her hand to send the other witch flying backwards but nothing happened. Prue stared down at her hand in surprise. Paige seemed to notice that nothing happened so she held her hand out. "Boulder," she called in an attempt to send one of the larger rocks at Tuatha but again nothing happened.

Tuatha's smile widened at them. "Like I said, I cast a spell to remove your powers. Obviously, you didn't count on that, witch," Tuatha taunted.

"And obviously you didn't count on their sister witches," Phoebe retorted as she and Piper hastily joined up with Prue and Paige.

Tuatha's smile disappeared and she grabbed at a potion on her belt which she threw at their feet. Paige orbed out with Prue but Piper and Phoebe were sent flying back against the cave wall to slam into the ground. Prue and Paige orbed back in with surprised looks. "I can still orb!" Paige exclaimed. "Oh, Phoebe, Piper!" she yelled upon seeing them on the ground.

"Are you guys okay?" Prue demanded as she ran over to them with Paige behind her.

"Three witches and a whitelighter," Tuatha realized, backing up a step. She pulled out a pinch of her magic dust. "I'll be ready for that next time," she warned them before throwing the dust over herself. There was a golden shimmer and she was gone.

Phoebe smiled at the display. "Cool," she stated.

"Very," Paige agreed.

Prue lightly elbowed Paige in the side while Piper just cast them a weird look. "Well, it was," Phoebe insisted.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Andy walked through the front door of the Manor and heard talking coming from the solarium. He switched directions away from the stairs to the second floor and toward whom he assumed to be the sisters. He was surprised to say the least when there were no Halliwells but Leo, Glen, a teenage boy, and a young woman around Paige or Phoebe's age. On top of that, Leo was trying to get the boy to use magic… in front of Glen and… with a wand?

"Hey, has Prue gotten back yet?" Andy asked, deciding that she would probably explain what was going on to him.

"No, they went to battle it out with an old hag and they haven't gotten back yet," Glen explained distantly.

Leo wasn't sparing a moment from Kyle so Andy joined Glen and Jana at one of the tables. He looked at Jana curiously. "Hey, um…"

"Jana," she supplied for him and shook his offered hand.

"Andy," Andy introduced himself. His gaze traveled to Leo and Kyle. "So what's with the wand practice?" he questioned. Andy could only feel a faint pulse of magic from Kyle so he could hardly be considered magical.

Jana followed his eyes to her cousin. "My cousin, Kyle, is apparently the Chosen One and is supposed to learn how to use the wand to take out some evil witch," Jana explained.

"The same old hag that the sisters went to meet. Leo claims that only Kyle can vanquish her or something," Glen added. Andy frowned at that piece of information that had been left out. Glen laughed at his expression. "Do they keep important info hidden all the time?" he asked.

"When'd you find out?" Andy inquired instead of answering. He knew that was what Glen was hinting toward as 'important info.'

Glen leaned comfortably back into his chair. "This morning. Crazy old hag tried to kill us and Paige got us out. Said she was a witch or something and she had powers," he answered shortly.

"Kind of a shock?" Andy guessed.

"Understatement," Glen admitted before fixing Andy with a serious stare. "Did you know before or after getting engaged to Prue?" he wondered.

"Before," Andy replied hesitantly.

Glen nodded thoughtfully. "So you asked her anyways?"

Andy offered a slight nod. "I didn't know for a while but I found out. I always loved her, even if I didn't want to admit it at first," Andy stated.

"So you weren't too sure of it at first?" Glen pressed.

Andy shook his head with a faint smile on his face. "Not at all and I almost blew it by not giving her a chance. I had to get knocked into perspective a little before I realized it," he answered. Glen fell silent, apparently thinking Andy's words over so Andy turned back to Jana who had fallen silent at the magic talk. "So he's your cousin?" Andy asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

"Yeah, you sound surprised," Jana observed.

"Well, you have a lot more magic than he does," Andy explained with a shrug.

Jana stared at him in surprise and perhaps seemed a little impressed. "How can you tell?" she questioned curiously.

"That's my job," Andy stated simply. "So are you a witch?" he prompted.

"A practitioner," she corrected. "I lack a personal power but I do have the basics: scrying, potion-making, spell-writing, rituals, etc." Jana allowed with a shrug. "Not quite as awesome as a witch since I can only use them when surrounded by strong magic but it's better than a mortal… uh, no offense," she added, offering Glen an apologetic glance.

Glen's frown deepened. "None taken."

~PO4~

Kyle held his wand out against Leo with one hand while his other balanced him out. "Both hands. You have to use both hands," Leo berated, causing Kyle to lose his concentration and fall out of position.

"But I didn't need both hands to make it spin before," Kyle pointed out in confusion.

"Well, you'll need both hands against Tuatha. If she gets the wand from you, she becomes invincible and you will not be able to vanquish her," Leo lectured. Leo took Kyle's hand and wrapped his fingers around the wand just below his other hand. "Now, just do as I say. Pretend I'm evil, alright, you connect to your destiny by connecting to yourself. Will me away," he ordered.

Kyle held his wand out at Leo and concentrated but after several moments of nothing happening, he dropped his stance in frustration. "Look, give it up Obi Wan, alright, you got the wrong guy," he insisted.

"No, I don't. Alright, you are not just the seventh son, you are the seventh generation of Chosen Ones. It's in your blood. You just have to believe," Leo snapped through clenched teeth.

"Believe in what? Myself? Forget it," Kyle retorted. He shoved the wand into Leo's hands and stalked off toward the front door. "Jana, I'm leaving," Kyle stated.

Leo spun around to watch Kyle depart. "Innocent people are going to die, are you willing to live with that?"

Jana, who had hastily gotten to her feet to follow Kyle, paused at Leo's words as she saw Kyle spin back around. "He sure does lay it on thick, doesn't he?" She just heard Glen's soft comment to Andy, who just grunted in agreement. The next moment had Kyle more angry than she'd ever see him before.

"No, no, don't you lay that crap on me?" Kyle yelled across the room.

Leo smirked and advanced back on Kyle. "Oh, does that make you mad? Huh? Good. At least that means finally you're being a real you," he taunted.

"Screw you," Kyle cursed.

"That's right. Get pissed at me. Show me your anger. Maybe you'll figure out what you're really angry about, huh," Leo stated, tossing the wand at Kyle, who easily caught it. "You don't think you're the Chosen One. You think you're the Forgotten One. Sick and tired of it too, aren't you? Aren't you?" he mocked.

Kyle held his wand out in front of him and it began glow. Leo was suddenly sent flying through the solarium windows and out into the yard. The glow died and Kyle looked horrified at what he had done. "Leo?" he called softly.

"He's fine," Andy assured them hastily as Glen appeared stunned into silence and Jana was looking worriedly out the broken windows.

Leo orbed in behind Kyle. "Not bad," he admitted with an approving nod to Kyle.

Andy stood up from his seat and approached the broken windows. "Damn, I hope you're going to fix those before Prue gets back…"

"What was that crash?" Phoebe's voice sounded from the foyer and she came running into the solarium with her sisters right behind her. She froze at the damage. "What happened in here?" she demanded.

"A little training, that's all," Leo explained with a shrug.

Prue's eyes widened as she took in the damage. "That's all? Do you have any idea how much that's gonna cost to fix?" Prue exclaimed, waving her hand at the windows.

"Told you," Andy muttered under his breath to Leo.

"Well, I know who's going to be fixing it," Piper added with a pointed look at Leo. "Leo, what if somebody saw you?" she lectured.

"Someone like neighbor Dan?" Leo guessed coldly.

Paige crossed her arms across her chest. "Leo," she scolded, narrowing her eyes dangerously at him.

Leo started to offer up a retort but stopped when he saw Piper was bleeding from a cut on her forehead. "Hey, you're bleeding," he realized in a much softer voice.

"It's nothing," Piper insisted, waving a strand of her hair away from the cut.

Kyle looked at the sisters hopefully. "So did you guys like kick some butt or what?" Kyle wondered.

"Or what," Phoebe repeated.

Andy's eyes narrowed at the lack of gloating from each of the sisters. "What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned, fairly certain he wasn't going to like the answer.

Prue sighed and met his gaze. "Tuatha was ready for us, or at least for me and Paige. She stripped away our powers," she admitted.

Andy didn't appear happy with that answer but Paige piped in before he could say anything. "I can still orb though," Paige offered.

"What does that mean?" Glen repeated Andy's previous question from his seat still at the table next to Jana.

"It means we have no witch powers but since orbing is a whitelighter power and not a witch power, I can still use it," Paige elaborated quickly.

Jana leaned forward almost eagerly as if she expected a good story. "So how'd you get away?" she inquired.

"Well, she literally disappeared before I had the chance to freeze her. And it's a good thing she wasn't expecting all four of us otherwise we wouldn't have gotten out of there," Piper answered with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"You're lucky you did. Now will you help me with Kyle?" Leo questioned, his voice slightly exasperated.

Prue glanced over at Kyle to find him turning kind of green at the thought of Tuatha. "Why are you so ready to send a teenager up against an evil that we can't even defeat?" Prue countered.

"Because he can. At least with the wand and he's getting better at it too," Leo insisted.

Kyle shook his head hastily. "Uh uh, I'm outta here," he declined.

"Kyle, wait," Leo tried.

"No, what the hell is the matter with you? They're even scared of her," Kyle argued with a wave of his hand at the four sisters. "I told you, you've made a huge mistake. I can't do this," he continued, tossing the wand on the couch and leaving.

Leo started to follow him but Piper grabbed his arm. "Leo, you can't make him stay. Even if it is his destiny," Piper pointed out.

"Look, I'm gonna go make potions or something that might help us," Paige decided, mostly for something to do. She left for the kitchen and after a moment, Glen stood up from his seat and followed her with a concerned expression on his face.

Jana watched the place where Kyle had left for several minutes trying to decide if it would be worth following him or not. In the end, she decided it probably wouldn't so she approached the sisters. "You said she stripped your powers… is there a way to do that against her?" Jana suggested.

"Well, nobody knows the Book of Shadows better than you, Pheebs, so like Jana said, if black magic can strip away our powers, surely white magic can do the same, right?" Prue

repeated, earning a nod from Phoebe. "Let's go," she ordered. Prue, Phoebe, and Jana ran up to the attic while Piper hesitated but eventually followed them. Andy and Leo were left in the solarium.

~PO4~

The Mountainside

A woman and a man pushed through the undergrowth with their flashlights leading the way. "Joshua? Samuel?" the woman called for their missing companions. They pushed forward despite how dark it was around them.

"I'm telling you, Hez, they're dead," the man snapped impatiently.

"They're not dead, Michael," Hez argued stubbornly. "Joshua? Samuel?" she yelled again.

Tuatha stepped out of the bushes behind them. "Hey, looking for the Blair witch?" Tuatha asked, causing them to spin around to face her. She pulled out a two pinches of her magic dust and Hez and Michael screamed.

~PO4~

The Lost Caves

Tuatha circled the two new hearts with her hands. "Before the passing of this hour, take away all of their powers," she chanted softly. Beside her, her grimoire was open and a handwritten spell filled the page. "To Bind a Whitelighter's Power." Tuatha sprinkled some magic dust over her snake. "Find my wand," she ordered and her snake disappeared.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Leo paced in a circle around the solarium while Andy leaned against the wall, his eyes following the whitelighter. "We have to get him back here," Leo stated under his breath.

"You can't make someone fight for something they don't believe," Andy argued. "We should be trying to help the sisters find a way to hold their own against her," he added.

"They can't," Leo snapped, turning to face Andy. "Tuatha will kill them," Leo insisted.

"I'm not going to sit and watch some evil witch kill them just because Kyle doesn't fight against her. He might still come back but if he doesn't, we need a plan to save them. There has to be a way," Andy argued, his voice rising slightly but not enough to alert anyone outside of the solarium of their argument.

Leo nodded in agreement. "Tuatha will be able to sense their magic. Together they radiate so much it will be impossible to hide. Maybe separately…" he replied thoughtfully.

"They'll never split up and neither should they," Andy pointed out.

"They might not have a choice," Leo retorted. He nodded to Andy, effectively ending their conversation and went to search after Piper.

~PO4~

Piper soaked a towel under the downstairs bathroom sink and began dabbing gently at the cut on her forehead when Leo stopped in the doorway.

"Want me to heal that for you?" he offered.

Piper dropped the towel and shook her head slightly. "I'm fine," she promised.

Leo started to approach anyway. "Come on," he insisted lightly.

"No," Piper returned, a stern note in her voice that caused Leo pause. "It gets all confusing when we're close and when you touch me. I don't want to be confused anymore," Piper explained.

"Hey…" Leo began.

"Look, Leo, you just do your job and I'll do mine, okay?" Piper interrupted, still not turning to face him.

Leo stopped next to her and held his hand out over her cut. "This is my job, Piper," he pointed out. A golden glow lit from his hand and the cut healed over.

"Thanks," Piper whispered, tossing the now-useless towel onto the counter. Their eyes met but Piper hastily broke away and walked away from him.

Leo turned to watch her. "He'll never understand you, you know. Your secret, what you're all about. Not like I can."

Piper paused and turned back to face him with a sad look on her face. "Maybe not, but at least I can count on him to be there for me when I need him," she countered. She force herself to turn away from Leo and search for her sisters.

~PO4~

Paige had pulled out a number of common potion ingredients and laid them out along the counter. She stared at them, hands on her hips, trying to decide where to start and what might help them the most. Her attention kept straying to Glen who was looking at some of the weirder ingredients: pig's feet, rabbit's blood, and frog tongue to name a few.

"Could you please say something?" Paige finally asked as the silence became too awkward for them.

"Sure, I'll say something," Glen agreed. "I've just found out that your sisters have you messing with the occult in a pretty serious way. Would you care to explain what is really going on here?"

"I told you already that I'm not messing with the occult. I'm half-witch, half whitelighter and I use my powers… we use our powers to protect people," Paige repeated what she had previously said to him.

Glen allowed a slight nod in her direction. "Fine, were you planning on telling me?" Glen questioned.

Paige hesitated a second. "Eventually…" she started but noticed that Glen wasn't particularly happy with the answer. He didn't look angry, just upset. "It's just that it's a weird thing to bring up and then hard to prove without freaking someone out," Paige added. "And forgive me if I don't want to get sent to the funny farm."

Glen cracked a smile at that. "I'm not going to drag you to the funny farm," he laughed but then he fell serious. "Any other weird secrets?" he wondered.

"Nope, just that one," Paige promised.

"So are we still on for next week?" Glen asked curiously.

Paige appeared slightly surprised by the question but marginally happier. "If you still want to," she answered.

"If you don't mind me moving everything slower until I get my head around it," Glen returned.

Paige nodded in agreement. "Deal," she offered. "Now that that's settled… I need you to leave," she ordered lightly.

Glen's smile fell. "What?" he inquired.

"Well, that evil witch lady is going to be coming by soon and you don't need to be here when she does. I don't want anything to happen to you," Paige explained.

Glen debated arguing but he recognized the look on Paige's face which told him he would never win. "Call me when everything's over," he reached out and pulled Paige against him, "and be careful. Stay with your sisters."

"I promise. I'll talk to you later," Paige agreed.

~PO4~

The Street

Kyle walked by himself down the sidewalk in the direction of his house when Dan and Jenny drove by in their truck. Jenny recognized Kyle from the passenger seat and rolled the window down.

"Kyle!" she yelled for his attention and waved before turning in her seat to face Dan. "Uncle Dan, stop," Jenny pleaded.

Dan narrowed his eyes at Kyle as he slowed his truck a little. "Who's he?" he asked.

Jenny smiled at her uncle. "Just some friend of Piper's…" she started, knowing that at the mention of Piper, her Uncle would let her walk with him. "He's cool. I'll be home soon," she promised.

"Soon when?" Dan pressed.

"An hour?" Jenny suggested.

"It's a school night," Dan argued as Jenny pushed the door of his truck open.

Jenny paused and turned back to face Dan. "Half an hour," she bargained. Dan didn't argue so she took that as an agreement and hopped out of the truck. Dan drove off as she joined Kyle. "Hey, where are you going?" Jenny wondered.

Kyle shrugged, only offering her a short glance. "Just outta here," he admitted.

"Where's your magic wand?" Jenny inquired upon not seeing it in his hand.

"It's not mine. Never was," Kyle answered.

"Sure could have fooled me," Jenny remarked casually. She tilted her head to the side and tried to read his expression. "Are you okay?" she finally asked.

Kyle didn't immediately answer. "How long have you known the Halliwells?" he questioned instead of answering her.

"A couple of months. Why?" Jenny prompted with a shrug of her shoulders.

Kyle stopped walking and Jenny similarly followed. "They have this screwed up idea that I'm… that I'm somebody I'm not…" he trailed off and shook his head in frustration, believing she'd think him crazy if he went into any more detail. 

"Never mind, it doesn't matter," Kyle insisted.

Jenny regarded him curiously. "My Mom once told me that if it matters to you then it matters. If they think you're something, Kyle, then you probably are," Jenny advised.

Kyle nodded slightly at the end of her speech and started to back away. "Thanks," he appreciated, starting back for the Manor.

"No problem. Let's go," Jenny called, leading the way down her road.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Piper and Paige were waiting in the conservatory with Andy when Prue, Phoebe, and Jana walked in to join them. "Any luck?" Piper asked hopefully.

"Well, we did find one spell but it requires a human heart and unfortunately, we're all still using ours," Phoebe answered with a sigh in her voice.

"Well, take mine. All it does it get me in trouble anyway," Piper offered.

"Amen," Prue remarked.

Paige rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You're one to talk with Mr. Perfect-Cop over there," she grumbled with a nod over at Andy.

Andy smirked and leaned casually back into the couch. "I didn't know you were interested, Paige. Come on," he joked, patting the seat next to him.

"Really?" Paige asked, going along with the joke. A grin spread across her face and she risked a glance at Prue, who looked partly amused and partly annoyed. Paige skipped forward to sit right next to Andy and Andy draped his arm around her shoulder. During the display, Tuatha's snake appeared on the floor behind Piper but went unnoticed.

Prue stepped forward and waved her arm for Paige to move aside. "Alright, away from my fiancé before I throw you through the wall," she ordered lightly. She paused as Paige smiled wider. "And don't think I can't do it just because I don't have telekinesis right now," Prue added.

Jana's smile at the exchange faded as she caught sight of the snake slithering toward Piper. "Um, Phoebe," she mumbled, not wanting to make a scene as Piper was easily the most jumpy and would definitely freak at the sight of the snake.

Leo joined them and saw the snake almost immediately. He didn't have the same idea as Jana. "Snake!" he yelled in warning.

Piper stared up at him, obviously offended. "Oh, I'm the snake but you're the one who…"

"No, snake!" Leo interrupted, pointing at her feet.

Piper looked down and screamed at the sight before running to the other side of the conservatory and into Phoebe's arms. Phoebe jumped backwards and nearly knocked Jana over while the snake followed them. Paige and Andy hastily stood up from the couch while Prue squirmed around Andy to grab the stake next to the fireplace. Prue ran up behind the snake and cut it in half with the stake. The two halves formed into separate snakes that turned toward Prue. "Look out!" Piper screeched.

"Freeze them, freeze them," Paige snapped at Piper.

"I'm trying, it's not working," Piper retorted, flicking her wrists repeatedly to no avail.

Paige grabbed Prue's arm and attempted to orb them out but nothing happened. "Oh, oh!" she exclaimed. Andy reached out and pulled Prue and Paige back behind him as the snakes slithered toward them.

"Where'd that book of yours go?" Jana demanded. "We need a spell or something."

~PO4~

Kyle and Jenny stopped at the front door of the Manor to ring the doorbell but they paused upon hearing Piper's frantic voice saying "Prue, what should we do?"

"They sound like they need help," Jenny commented but didn't seem too worried.

Kyle paled visibly, afraid that Tuatha had come against them, but pushed open the door. He grabbed Jenny's wrist and pulled her in after him. "Kyle?" Jana asked in surprised once she saw her cousin running in. "I knew you'd come back," she added, her eyes glowing with something akin to pride.

Prue's hand clenched Andy's arm while Paige held onto Prue. "Andy, orb, orb, orb," Prue ordered hastily.

"They're getting closer…" Paige observed nervously just before she, Prue, and Andy all disappeared in a swirl of orbs.

Piper spun on Leo and pointed at the snakes in their floor. "Leo, do something," she snapped.

Leo noticed the wand laying on the couch where Kyle had left and ran for it. "Kyle, catch," he called, tossing it in Kyle's direction.

Kyle caught the wand and stared at the large snakes as they turned toward him. Using both hands, he pointed it out at them and shouted "die!" The wand glowed and the snakes disappeared in a puff of smoke and sparks. The glow faded away and left Kyle staring at the place where the snakes had been in disbelief.

Prue , who was now standing near Leo with Andy and Paige, nodded to Kyle approvingly. "Nice job," she admitted, still holding her stake in both hands.

"Whoa! What was that?" Jenny questioned. Everyone's encouraging smiles faded as they realized who it was Kyle had brought with him. They smiled at her nervously, not entirely sure what to say.

~PO4~

Phoebe waved her hand at the dining room table where there were several potions lined up on the table. "Okay, this is a potion to induce sleep, this one is to repel an evil threat, and that one puts out a fire," Phoebe explained helpfully.

"What kind of potion does that?" Prue asked, picking up the 'fire put-outer' potion.

"None, that's water," Phoebe admitted sheepishly. Prue, Piper, and Paige narrowed their eyes slightly at her. "I didn't have a lot of time, it was the best I could do, okay," she grumbled.

Piper glanced at Paige. "What do you got?" she questioned.

Paige shrugged and ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't actually make anything," she answered.

Piper raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "What? Well, what were you doing in the kitchen earlier?" Piper demanded.

"Saving my relationship. Glen sidetracked me," Paige replied.

Piper didn't appear pleased in the slightest. "So we have two potions, water, two magical guys, one wand wielder, and six people with no powers," she listed, showing the overwhelming odds against them.

"Well, actually, Andy's orbing Jenny and Kyle's cousin to their homes so that they're not in the way," Prue corrected half-heartedly.

"Jana's actually going to leave Kyle here?" Paige asked in surprise.

Phoebe smirked as she remembered the conversation. "She wasn't particularly happy about it…" she admitted.

"What are we doing about Jenny knowing about us?" Piper wondered aloud while she played nervously with her hair.

"The guys were going to talk to her but I think we should worry about her later. We've got enough issues at the moment," Prue advised, earning a nod from each of her sisters in turn.

"So what about that potion to give Kyle more courage?" Piper inquired with a glance at Phoebe.

Phoebe frowned apologetically. "I remembered wrong. There isn't one."

"Well, that's disappointing," Piper mumbled, turning away to begin her customary pacing.

"We'll just have to boost his moral a little without magic," Paige decided.

Phoebe nodded in agreement before her gaze shifted to the potions in front of her. "You guys, I'm scared. And not just for him but for us. I don't like feeling this powerless," she announced.

Piper paused in her pacing. "Maybe that's our lesson for today. Not to take our powers for granted," she offered.

"I never will ever again," Paige exclaimed immediately.

"Yeah, but if we're ever gonna get our powers back then we're gonna have to help Kyle defeat Tuatha. Like Paige said, we're just gonna have to do it without magic," Prue remarked, reaching out and grabbing the potion bottle with water in it. "Come on," she called. She led the way to the conservatory where Leo and Kyle were doing some last minute practice. "How's it going?" Prue asked them.

"Good. Andy should be getting back..." Leo trailed off as orbs lit up the room and Andy materialized in front of them. "… Now. I think Kyle's ready," Leo added.

Piper looked up at Andy. "Did you get Jenny home then?" she inquired.

Andy nodded slightly as he moved to stand beside Prue. "She's promised not to say anything about magic to Dan until or if you feel like sharing it with him," he assured her.

"Kyle, how are you feeling?" Paige questioned gently.

Kyle smiled nervously at her. "I'm ready. I'm as ready as I can be," he replied, hesitating before deciding to continue. He let out a strained laugh. "You know, it's funny, uh, I always wanted to be somebody special. You should be careful what you wish for."

"Believe me, we can relate," Piper admitted.

As soon as the words had left Piper's mouth, a golden shimmer lit up the room and Tuatha appeared in front of them. She focused on the first sister she saw which happened to be Prue and tossed a potion at Prue's feet. A blast erupted from the impact and knocked Prue and Andy back into a side table that collapsed under them.

"Prue!" Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all screamed.

Prue groaned softly and rolled away from the debris. "Andy?" she called when he didn't move.

Paige tore her eyes away from her eldest sister and grabbed the sleeping potion from Phoebe. "Focus," she ordered before tossing it at Tuatha's feet.

Tuatha faked a yawn as the fumes of the sleeping potion surrounded her. She smirked at their surprised faces. "So young, so new to the craft. Now this is a sleeping potion."

Tuatha pulled out her own potion bottle and threw it at Phoebe's feet. The fumes engulfed Phoebe, who collapsed to the ground.

"Leo!" Prue screamed. She was now leaning over Andy and trying to shake him awake to no avail. Leo started for them but as soon as he stepped foot near the fumes of the sleeping potion, he fell to the ground unconscious and knocked his head heavily against a chair.

Piper and Paige turned to Prue but Tuatha threw another potion at their feet that left them stuck to the floor. "Hey, what the…?" Piper trailed off as she nearly fell over but Paige steadied her.

Tuatha finally turned to face Kyle now that his protectors had all been incapacitated. "Now, the wand if you please," she ordered. She held her hand out and the wand floated out of Kyle's hands and toward her. The wand began to glow in her hand. "Not much of a Chosen One, are you? At least the last one was able to entomb me and I will now entomb you," Tuatha taunted.

Prue looked up from Andy and glared daggers at Tuatha. She snatched up the potion bottle filled with water and made eye contact with Piper. Piper gave her a slight nod of

understanding and Prue tossed the water at Kyle's feet. "The courage potion," Piper exclaimed, right on time.

Tuatha laughed at them. "What? There is no courage potion," she stated.

"No? Now look who's teaching who," Prue snapped.

"Come on, Kyle, get the wand. Do your thing," Paige encouraged, catching on to Piper and Prue's plan.

Kyle took a deep breath and held his hands out. "I wish for the wand," he called for it. The wand left Tuatha's hands and started floating to Kyle.

"My wand!" Tuatha screeched, holding her hands out for it. The wand stopped moving toward Kyle and began to hover between its two wielders. Very slowly it began to head back to Tuatha.

"Don't give up, Kyle, believe," Piper cheered him on.

Kyle redoubled his efforts and the wand started floating toward Kyle. He finally managed to grab it while Tuatha appeared stunned. "I wish you gone forever," Kyle shouted.

"No!" Tuatha screamed in denial as she blew up and was vanquished. The glow of the wand died and Piper and Paige were unstuck from the floor. Paige raced toward Prue and the unmoving Andy.

Piper took one look at them before bolting over to Leo, who was moving a little. "Leo," she whispered, helping him to his feet. "You have to heal Andy," Piper insisted and helped him stumble to them. Leo kneeled down next to Andy and held his hand out over him. A golden glow was emitted from his hand as Andy began to heal.

"He- He's okay, right?" Prue demanded. Paige wrapped her arms around her eldest sister while Piper grabbed a towel and pressed it against a deep cut on Prue's arm that was gushing blood.

"Yeah, he's fine," Leo assured her.

As if in answer, Andy stirred and forced himself into a sitting position. "Ugh… what happened?" he questioned, his hand moving to touch a rather tender spot on his head. He then noticed Prue with her sisters. "Prue, you're bleeding," he exclaimed. He was thrown even more off guard when Prue ignored his comment, dropped down next to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Andy caught Leo's eye and Leo quickly reached out to heal Prue. "Where's, uh, Tabitha?" Andy inquired.

"Tuatha," Paige corrected with a soft, relieved laugh as Andy glared at her.

"Kyle vanquished her," Prue answered, her voice muffled by Andy's shoulder.

Paige left the small crowd to check on Phoebe while Leo slowly stood up and Piper hastily stepped up to help him to the couch as she noticed a cut on his head. "You're hurt," she stated, gently touching around it.

"I'm okay," Leo promised.

"Let me get you some ice," Piper offered.

Leo caught her arm before she could leave. "Really, I'm fine," he insisted softly.

Piper smiled down at him. "Are you getting even?" she joked.

"Just finally getting it. What you want. What you deserve. A normal life or at least as normal a life as you can get, which means a normal relationship which I can't give you," Leo admitted with a sad smile up at Piper. "I guess we know why witches and whitelighters aren't supposed to fall in love, huh?" He didn't wait for a response but orbed out before it became harder to do so.

~PO4~

Prue pulled away from Andy and saw Kyle looking over the wand which she could see was broken. She slowly walked up beside him.

"It's broken," Kyle whispered as he heard her approach.

"It served its purpose," Prue pointed out gently.

Kyle nodded and smiled slightly. "Yeah, thanks to your magical boost of courage," he agreed.

"Kyle, Tuatha was right. There was no courage potion. We made it up," Prue admitted. "You defeated her all by yourself," she continued.

Kyle shrugged her last comment off. "Well, it still doesn't change anything. No one would believe me even if I told them what I did," he replied almost sadly.

"Yeah, but you know what you did. And as long as you keep believing in that, you can change whatever you want. Who knows what you're still destined for," Prue encouraged with a soft smile at him.

Kyle nodded and returned the smile as Andy came up behind Prue. "Ready to go tell your cousin? I bet she's waiting for a story," Andy laughed, offering Kyle his hand.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Kyle agreed. He took one last look at the wand before giving it to Prue. "I don't need it anymore. It's served its purpose," he repeated Prue's earlier line. Prue gave him a quick hug before Andy orbed them out.

"Hey, Prue? Do you think she'll notice if I orb her outside?" Paige called with a mischievous smile on her face. She was leaning over Phoebe, who was still comfortably asleep on the floor.

"Paigey…" Prue scolded lightly.

Piper's face creased with a small smile. "Do it, Paige, I dare you," she joked. Paige seemed to ponder the idea before she and an unconscious Phoebe orbed out. "Prue, do you still have a camera? Somewhere. It might be worth finding now."

~PO4~

P4

Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige walked down the stairs of the busy club, Prue holding the wand in her hand.

"What are you going to tell him about what happened to the poor lady who owned the wand?" Piper wondered aloud.

"Well, what can I tell him?" Prue countered with a shrug of her shoulders. "Look, I called him because I just wanna get rid of this thing, that's all," she explained.

Phoebe smile and she pushed through so that she was between Prue and Piper. "So what did Andy say when you told him you were going to meet another guy at the club?" Phoebe asked jokingly.

"He didn't care because it's not personal. Purely business," Prue replied, lightly pushing Phoebe into Piper for even suggesting she would see two guys at once.

"You realize that Piper says that so much that I no longer believe it, right?" Paige teased.

Piper ignored the comment as she met Dan's eyes across the bar. "Oh, gotta date, gotta go," she excused herself and crossed toward Dan.

Phoebe waved and then turned back to Prue. "Is Andy coming?" she questioned curiously.

"No, as soon as I get rid of this, we're going to go over some wedding plans at the Manor," Prue answered. She smiled as Phoebe and Paige exchanged an excited glance. "You two can come as long as you be serious," she allowed with a playfully stern look at them.

Paige grinned. "Prue, I would never dream of messing up your wedding for even a second," she assured her dramatically.

"Oh, Prue, I have so many wonderful dresses picked out that you'll look drop-dead gorgeous in. And I'm being completely serious," Phoebe exclaimed.

"Well, how do I look now?" Prue asked, striking a pose.

"Fab," Phoebe answered. "Now hurry up! We have a wedding to plan," she sang.

Prue slipped past her two sisters to meet Jack where he was seated at the bar. "Hey, um, I thought you might want to have this back. I mean, after all, it is rightfully yours," she offered, holding the wand out to him. She turned away as Jack took it from her.

"Uh, hold it. What's wrong with this picture?" Jack questioned sarcastically and with a pointed glance at the broken wand.

Prue smirked and turned back to face him. "It looks like it broke," she admitted with an innocent smile.

Jack nodded in agreement while staring at her in disbelief. "Keen eye, Prue," he joked. "It kinda lowers the value of the wand, don't you think?" Jack added.

"Bright side, at least it's worth what you were going to buy it for now," Prue retorted lightly.

Jack laughed in silent agreement. "Come on. Have a drink. You can brag to me about how you out-smarted me with the wand. I do like to learn from the best," he suggested hopefully.

"Sorry," Prue politely declined. "But I have a wedding to plan tonight," she explained, holding up her hand so he could see her engagement ring. "Good luck with your auction business." Prue waved to him before returning to Phoebe and Paige.

~PO4~

Dan met Piper inside the alcove that let them have a little more privacy than a typical bar date. "Hi," Piper greeted, standing up to meet him.

"Hi," Dan returned and then waved his hand at the seat. "After you," he offered. Piper sat down and he followed beside her.

"Thanks for coming. I hope late-late dinner is okay with you," Piper appreciated hopefully.

Dan nodded but wasn't much in the mood for circling the problem. "Look, I'm gonna make this easier for you. I know that you and that handyman, Leon…"

"Leo," Piper corrected automatically.

"Right, Leo," Dan repeated. "I know you guys were more than just friends. I'm not dumb. I mean, he's always around the house," he started.

"Dan it's over," Piper interrupted. Dan didn't say anything and transferred his gaze to the floor, obviously disappointed. Piper's eyes widened as she realized what he thought. "Oh no, I don't me you and me. I meant him and me. That's why I wanted to see you tonight. I didn't want there to be any more confusion," Piper hastily explained.

Dan's face lit up hopefully. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Piper promised before leaning forward and pulling Dan forward into a passionate kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'll admit there was a lot of people to keep up with in this one so I tried to do them all justice. Did I succeed or did someone fall flat that I should fix up?


	11. Ms. Hellfire Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Next chapter is up! And for all you guys who didn't get enough Andy in the last one, he's in this one quite a lot. There just wasn't much to do for any of them in the last one really.
> 
> The wedding is soon is all I'm going to say because I'm mean like that and I think it'll be better as a complete surprise

The Halliwell Manor

Prue walked out of the kitchen holding her wireless home phone in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She stopped at one of the solarium tables where Phoebe and Paige were eating bowls of cereal for breakfast. They both listened to Prue's hurried conversation curiously.

"All right, I can meet with the Curson Foundation at noon but then we'll have to move my 1:00 lunch regarding the Lowe Estate. That will affect my 2:30 slide presentation and my 4:30 meeting with the new printers," Prue listed off, mentally keeping track of her day. "Have you confirmed Mrs. Swanson yet?" she asked.

Phoebe waved her hand at a flyer that Paige was reading over. "The last Tae Bo class is at seven," Phoebe reminded Prue helpfully.

Paige raised her hand as if she was a student in class. "Don't forget to pick up your wedding dress."

"I'll get that on the way to work," Prue whispered with the faintest of nods to her sisters before she spoke into the phone. "Okay. I can meet with the printers at their office, walk to Royal Hotels afterwards for my 5:30 with Mrs. Swanson." Prue nodded to herself in satisfaction for her plan before addressing Phoebe. "I just have enough time to make it to kick boxing class and then Andy can have me all night," she added cheerfully.

"If you can pull that off, I'll give you twenty bucks," Paige offered with a soft laugh.

Prue didn't respond as she frowned upon hearing the bad news Monique had. "Her plane doesn't arrive until six?" she repeated in disbelief.

"Ooh, I win already," Paige joked as Prue's cell began to ring.

"So much for Tae Bo," Phoebe agreed with a chuckle. "Oh, that's your phone. I'll get it for you," she offered, running to Prue's purse.

"Thanks, it's probably Jack," Prue appreciated.

Paige tilted her head in confusion. "Jack? The wand guy? That Jack?" she asked in confusion.

Prue covered the talking end of her phone with her hand. "Yeah, he works at Bucklands now. Not in my department, thank god, but he likes to bug me. I think Andy's going to hunt him down if he doesn't stop," Prue explained hastily before turning back to her conversation with Monique.

"You don't have time for Jack, literally," Phoebe pointed out before answering Prue's cell. "Prue Halliwell's phone…" she frowned slightly and covered the talking end of the cell.

"It's Mr. Caldwell's office," she hissed to Prue.

Prue's eyes widened. "It's the new VP," she realized. "Monique, why is Mr. Caldwell calling me at my home? … What emergency staff meeting? … When this morning?" she demanded frantically.

"9:30. Be there or be fired," Phoebe answered with false cheer.

"I'm on my way," Prue replied immediately and then hung up.

Paige slowly stood up from her seat at the table. "Do you want me to orb you there before I go to class?" she offered.

"Please," Prue pleaded.

Phoebe hung up Prue's cell also and then faked a yawn. "Well, now, I am very tired and need a nap," she joked.

Prue dropped her head into her hands. "Yeah, well, I need another me. I don't even have time to have fun anymore… Andy doesn't even have to work this hard, it's ridiculous,"

Prue sighed. There was a bang as the back door shut and Piper pranced in (rather cheerfully for her) from the kitchen.

Phoebe glanced at Piper teasingly. "Oh, look who it is," she announced as a way of greeting.

"Morning," Piper greeted, passing her three sisters without another word.

"Who is she?" Paige questioned jokingly while Piper dropped her bag on the solarium table and turned to face them.

Prue shrugged. "She looks vaguely familiar. Kind of like a sister we used to have. What was her name?" Prue went along with the joke and feigned ignorance. "Pi… P."

"Pi… Pippy?" Phoebe guessed.

"Pipper?" Prue suggested.

Paige shook her head hastily. "No, it was Pippen," Paige argued. Piper just rolled her eyes at their joke.

"Whatever happened to her?" Phoebe asked curiously.

"I don't know. She fell in lust with the next-door neighbor and started spending all her time over there," Prue answered with a pointed look at Piper.

Paige decided to call it quits on the joke. "Did you sleep with him?" she demanded.

"No," Piper replied with a playful glare at Paige before addressing Prue. "That's because she could, for the first time in months, her life was nice and calm and normal," she insisted, slowly walking forward to join them. "I don't even care that it's Friday…"

"Shh! Don't even say it," Phoebe interrupted seriously.

Piper smirked and continued anyway. "The 13th," she stopped dramatically and smiled wider when nothing happened. "See, I said it, and nothing happened," she exclaimed. No sooner had the words left her mouth when bullets starting shooting through the windows and hitting anything in their way. Glass shattered, objects fell around them, and the sisters all screamed and made a run for the living room. Prue and Phoebe slid across the floor to duck behind the couch, Paige orbed out as several bullets shot at her and orbed back in next to them, and Piper hid in the corner between the door and an antique cabinet.

"Who the hell is shooting at us?" Paige demanded as bullets ricocheted off the walls around them.

Phoebe sat up just enough to glare at Piper. "I told you not to say it!"

"Oh, so this is my fault?" Piper snapped back.

"Run," Prue ordered, pointing to the spot next to her where Piper could just fit in with them.

Piper shook her head hastily. "No," she argued.

"I'll cover you, Piper," Paige offered but Piper still shook her head.

Phoebe pointed harshly at the spot next to Prue. "You get your butt over here right…" she trailed off as another series of bullets shot through the windows and Prue and Paige pulled her back down.

Piper waited until they had passed before dashing out of her safe zone. Halfway there more bullets shot up the vase right in front of her and continued to rocket at her. She screamed and flicked her wrists so that they froze. For a split second she was in a stunned silence before she ran the last few feet and slid in next to Prue. The silence lasted with no more bullets coming at them so all four sisters peeked over the back of the couch. The bullets started up again, causing them to scream and drop back down.

"Oh, like I need this today," Prue groaned as the bullets stopped again.

"Since when do demons use bullets?" Phoebe questioned.

"Maybe it's not a demon," Piper suggested.

Paige's eyes flickered from one sister to the next. "Anyone have any mortal grudges against us?" she wondered aloud.

"No, why would a mortal want to kill us?" Prue returned.

"Well, you know, you were a little sharp to the mailman yesterday. We all know how testy they can be," Phoebe pointed out half-jokingly.

"Should I orb us out now?" Paige offered, taking Phoebe's hand next to her.

Prue shook her head slightly. "No, we need to see if we can get a face," she decided but she took Piper's and Phoebe's other hand just in case they needed a quick getaway. Paige seemed to understand because she nodded.

They froze when something hit the front door and they each peeked around the couch. "Freeze," Piper started.

"Kick," Phoebe followed.

"Send flying," Prue added.

"Orb us out," Paige finished.

Phoebe nodded in satisfaction. "Okay," she whispered, watching the door for any hint of someone coming through.

The front door never opened but instead a woman came in from the dining room, obviously having come through the back door. The sisters screamed in surprise as the woman fired her gun at them. Prue yanked her hand from Paige and held her it out in front of them as if to shield them. The bullets changed directions, riddling the shooter's body with the bullets instead. The woman fell to the ground in their kitchen while the sisters stared in stunned silence. Slowly, they stood up from behind their couch and ran to see the body. The shooter's blood pooled in the floor around her.

"Oh my god, she's not a demon," Prue whispered in horror.

~PO4~

Paige dumped out the contents of the dead woman's purse on the dining room table and started shifting through objects with her sisters.

Piper picked up a handful of passports and opened each of them up to read the names. "Multiple aliases," she announced as each of the passports had different names in them. She looked over to where Phoebe had pulled out dollar bills from the woman's wallet. "Foreign currency," Piper added with a nod to the bills.

Paige had picked up a small pouch that she opened and pulled out throwing stars. "Throwing stars," she offered with a slight frown on her face.

Prue rolled up the woman's lipstick to find it was really a knife in disguise. "Not exactly Avon calling," Prue stated sarcastically.

"Dude, this chick's hardcore," Paige exclaimed, appearing thoughtful.

Piper reached out for a card key to an apartment. "Sutro Heights Apartments," she read before meeting her sisters' gaze. "That's kinda scary. She didn't live too far from here," Piper admitted.

"Well, what's even scarier is that we've never been attacked by a mortal before," Phoebe added softly.

Prue's eyes invariably flickered back to the woman's body. "Yeah, I've never killed a mortal before either," she sighed.

"Prue, you had no choice," Phoebe pointed out.

"And it was self-defense. She was going to kill us," Paige commented gently.

"Still doesn't make it any easier," Prue returned.

Piper glanced up from the woman's day planner. "Does it make it an easier if the mortal was a hit woman?" she asked hopefully.

Prue looked over Piper's shoulder to see what she was looking at. "A list of names. So?" she pressed.

"Yeah, look closer, we're on it or at least two of us are. 'P. Halliwell' and 'P. Matthews' and other than 'M. Steadwell' and 'J. Gwydien,' we're the only other names not crossed off," Piper elaborated for them.

Paige looked a little put out. "P. Matthews? Really?" she groaned as it could only be her.

"Oh calm down, Paige," Phoebe laughed.

"Easy for you to say. You might not be the P. Halliwell that they want dead," Paige retorted. She suddenly fell silent in thought before snatching the planner from Piper. "Gwydien… wasn't that Kyle's last name?" she demanded.

Piper shrugged slightly. "Yeah, I think so, why are…"

"J. Gwydien is on here. Jana, you think?" Paige questioned.

Prue tilted her head the side. "Could be, I guess. Maybe we should check on her after Andy gets here," Prue suggested. "Until then, we need to figure out who hired this hit woman," she decided, taking the planner from Paige. "It must have been someone who knew we had powers. I mean, look."

Piper looked over at a different page of the planner that Prue was pointing at. "Prue: telekinesis, Piper: power to freeze, Paige: teleportation, Phoebe: negligible," Piper read.

Phoebe's face fell at that and she moved to read it for herself. "What? Negligible?" she repeated sadly.

"Well, that explains why she drove us to the front door and tried to surprise us from behind," Piper realized.

Paige crossed her arms across her chest. "That doesn't actually make sense. If she knew I could just teleport us all out then why didn't she plan for that?" she wondered aloud.

"Maybe she was just hoping that the bullets would separate us so you wouldn't leave. There's not really much she could do if you decided to orb out except keep firing and hope she got you," Phoebe offered after slamming the day planner onto the table.

"Well, why would a demon hire a mortal to kill us at all? That doesn't make any sense either," Prue pointed out.

"I just wish we knew about that part of the equation so we could have told Andy not to bring…" Piper trailed off as the front door opened and Andy and Darryl walked inside.

Andy immediately ran up to Prue and looked over her as if he expected her to be bleeding from somewhere. "Prue, are you guys okay?" he demanded. His question was plural but his eyes remained only on Prue.

"Yeah, we're fine, really. It was just a scare," Prue assured, allowing him to pull her into a hug.

"You scared the shit out of me, leaving something like that on my voicemail," Andy admitted and scolded at the same time.

Prue smirked a little. "Well, you didn't answer your phone," she pointed out before pulling away from Andy to face Darryl. "Hi, Darryl, thanks for coming," Prue appreciated.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I actually want to be here, but seeing as Trudeau did and it's… you, I decided I should," Darryl replied. "So what happened?" he prompted.

"Someone tried to kill us," Phoebe answered.

Darryl glanced over at Andy. "You left that part out of the explanation," he stated, appearing surprised by the news.

"Well, now you see why I was in a hurry to get back here," Andy countered.

Darryl turned back to the sisters. "Did you see who it was?" Darryl questioned professionally.

Paige pointed in the direction of the kitchen. "She's over there," she explained hesitantly.

"She?" Darryl repeated before walking past the sisters to see for himself. Andy pulled away from Prue to follow as well. Both cops froze at the sight of the woman's body on the floor.

"We were just sort of standing here talking when she started shooting up the place," Piper elaborated for them.

"Okay, I didn't know about this part," Andy admitted when Darryl cast him another glance. He turned around to face the sisters. "Was there anything on her to identify who she is?" he asked.

Phoebe shook her head slowly. "No, ID but we think she's a hit woman," she answered.

"Who obviously wanted us dead. We were on her list," Prue added.

Andy moved away from the body and back toward Prue. "Where's the list?" he inquired. He flipped it open as soon as Prue passed it to him.

Darryl hadn't moved from the woman's body. "And that's why you're standing here alive and she's in here riddled with bullets," he remarked suspiciously.

Paige ran a hand through her hair. "Jeez, Darryl, you sound like you wish it was us," she mumbled, half-joking.

"Darryl, it was self-defense. You can check her gun if you don't believe us. The only fingerprints you are going to find are hers," Prue insisted, her voice rising slightly.

Darryl took several steps toward them, ignoring the warning look in his partner's eyes. "Begs the same question. How come she's the one with the bullets in her body if you didn't fire the gun?" Darryl demanded.

Andy dropped the woman's planner back on the table. "Darryl, it has to do with what you don't wanna know," he explained cryptically.

"That's not enough this time, Trudeau. There is a dead body in their house… in your house. It's a completely different situation," Darryl retorted.

Andy started to protest but Phoebe beat him to it. "Do you really wanna know, Darryl?" Phoebe questioned.

Darryl gave the faintest of nods after tearing his gaze away from Andy to look at Phoebe. "Tell me," he ordered.

"We're witches," Phoebe stated. "We…" she trailed off and glanced at her sisters for help.

"We have powers," Paige blurted out, earning a warning look from Prue.

"And we think there's a…" Piper stopped abruptly with a look at Prue. "How do I put this?" she asked, unable to think of an easy way to tell him.

Paige rolled her eyes at their hesitance. "A demon," she supplied.

Piper narrowed her eyes slightly. "A demon behind this," Piper finished her previous thought.

"The only way for us to find out who it is-is if you and Andy can keep all of this quiet for as long as possible," Prue continued.

Darryl stared at them for a long moment before nodding at the planner. "Did the book have anything useful?" he wondered, the question directed to Andy.

"There were two other possible murder attempts listed," Andy replied, reopening the planner.

"There are seven names crossed out. Besides us, there are only two other names not crossed out. We think one of them might be one of Paige's college friends but the other we don't recognize," Phoebe added as Darryl moved to look over the book with Andy.

Darryl pointed at one of the lines. "'Plastique: 10 am.' Plastic explosives. For all we know she's probably got some place already rigged to blow," he sighed.

"Someplace that will catch this M. Steadwell at 10 am," Andy guessed since the name was placed on the same page as the explosion note.

Phoebe turned Piper's wrist so she could read her watch. "Okay, it's after nine already," Phoebe pointed out hurriedly.

"I'll check DMV, see if we can get an address," Darryl decided, earning a slight nod from Andy.

"I'll call some other officers to check out the other possible threat listed here," Andy offered, both cops pulling out their phones.

"I'm just gonna go ahead of you guys and orb over and pick up Jana. Ask if she knows of any reason someone would want to kill her or if anyone she knows she is related to, that the name could be for," Paige stated with a glance at her sisters for permission.

Phoebe pointed at Darryl and Andy. "I'm gonna go with them."

"Prue and I are gonna go to her apartment and see if we can find anything there," Piper told them.

"After we make a quick pit stop at Bucklands," Prue added.

Piper stared at Prue in disbelief. "Are you kidding?" she asked.

"I can't lose my job," Prue argued.

Darryl frowned at the idea. "Trudeau will go with you. I can handle M. Steadwell." He glanced over at Paige. "Will she be alright by herself?" he demanded.

Paige nodded confidently. "I've got the easy job. You guys just worry about what this crazy lady could be planning at those spots," she assured them.

Darryl nodded in silent agreement before heading for the door with Phoebe on his heels. "Keep your phone on, Andy, I want updates," he ordered.

"What do we do with the…" Phoebe trailed off, pointing in the direction of the body.

"I can call in a favor and put the body on ice but it's not gonna buy you much time. One day, max," Darryl warned and then walked out the door.

Phoebe waved to her sisters and followed after him. Paige only waited another second before orbing out to get Jana, leaving Prue and Piper to wait for Andy to get off the phone with the station.

~PO4~

Bucklands Auction House

The meeting had already started by the time Prue, Piper, and Andy made it outside the door to the office where the meeting was being held.

"As the new regional VP of Bucklands Auction houses, I'll be implementing a new course of action for the new millennium…" the new VP announced. As he turned his back, Prue quietly sneaked into the empty seat next to Jack while Andy and Piper stayed in the doorway. "… The problem is I don't know any of you well enough to know who's worth keeping and who's not," he continued.

Jack spun his chair around so he could see Prue. "You're late, partner," he whispered teasingly.

Prue narrowed her eyes at him. "We are not partners," she snapped under her breath.

"Do you wanna bet?" Jack retorted.

Prue was about to counter attack when the VP's voice caught her attention. "You. Dark hair," he called, staring straight at Prue. Prue nervously glanced around her to make sure he was talking to her. "Yeah, the one who tried to sneak in late. What's your name?" the VP demanded.

Prue pointed to herself uncertainly. "My-my name?" she asked and he nodded impatiently. "Uh, Prue-Prue-Prue Halliwell," Prue answered.

The VP glanced down at his list of names and marked her off. "Yeah, right, okay, you'll be partnered with Sheridan there," he ordered with a point at Jack. Piper and Andy glanced around the door to see what was going on after hearing Prue's name repeatedly.

"But he's not even in my department!" Prue exclaimed before she could stop herself. The VP raised his eyebrows and Prue ducked her gaze apologetically while Jack laughed beside her.

Piper waved for Prue's attention while Andy was giving Jack a death glare that went unnoticed by the other man. Prue waved her hand for Piper to be quiet.

"Every employee in this room and their partner has until tomorrow night to scour the obits. Do whatever you have to do to raise $100,000 of auction material," the VP went on with his speech. Prue's eyes widened and she shot her hand in the air. "Yes," the VP prompted.

"By tomorrow?" Prue repeated in disbelief.

"If you want to keep your job," he replied seriously. "Welcome to the new Bucklands," the VP finished dramatically and then left the room. Everyone quickly began to file out. Prue was about to follow when Jack started talking to her.

"Whoa. I guess we better clear the decks, huh?" Jack asked rhetorically while swiveling his chair around to face Prue. "You know, Prue, we might even have to work over dinner," he added enthusiastically.

Prue stared at him but saw Piper stamp her feet impatiently at the door. "Dinner? No," Prue answered absently. She saw Piper grab onto Andy's arm as he tried to make himself seen.

"Come on, we're in this together, aren't we?" Jack insisted.

Prue's gaze shifted from Piper to Andy to Jack and back again. "Yeah, but…" she trailed off as there was a flash of red and a copy of herself appeared next to Piper and Andy while her real self froze with her eyes closed, still in the chair beside Jack.

Piper jumped in surprise. "Prue?" she gasped.

"What are you doing?" Andy demanded. All three looked over at the comatose Prue beside Jack.

"Prue?" Jack prompted when he got no response. There was another red flash and the copy of Prue disappeared and the real Prue's eyes opened. "Prue, have you even heard a word I've said?"

Prue shook her head slowly, her thoughts in disarray. "No, I'm feeling a little… weird," she explained. "I'll be, uh…" she slowly stood up, clinging to the table for support before stumbling toward Piper and Andy. "Ooh…" Prue mumbled.

Andy wrapped a strong arm around her waist as Prue looked as if she was going to fall over while Piper spun on Prue. "What the hell just happened?" Piper questioned.

"I don't know. I think it was some sort of astral projection," Prue answered with a slight shrug.

"Astral projection?" Andy repeated as if he thought he had heard wrong.

"Well, how did you do it?" Piper pressed curiously.

Prue shrugged again. "I don't know. I just felt this desperate need for there to be two of me and all of a sudden there was."

"Two of you, huh?" Andy laughed, looking thoughtful.

Prue suddenly looked horrified and she hit Andy on the arm. "Andy, that's bad thinking. Bad Andy," she scolded, pulling out of his arm.

Piper rolled her eyes at them and grabbed Prue's arm to regain her attention. "Do you think this is part of your power growing?" she asked.

"Maybe, I mean, if I can move things with my mind, why not my body?" Prue decided. She glared at Andy as he snickered at her comment.

Andy put his hands in the air innocently. "Sorry," he apologized, a wide grin still on his face.

"Alright, that's it. You two stop and let's get out of here before it happens again," Piper ordered. She dragged Prue toward the door with Andy trailing behind with one last glare back at Jack.

~PO4~

The Street

Paige orbed into the cover of the underbrush next to the street where Jana walked to class. If anywhere, she figured this was one of the better spots to try and attack somebody without unwanted attention. Paige hastened out of the brush and glanced frantically around for her friend. She had tried Jana's house already and had found she had already left and for whatever reason, Paige couldn't sense her. The clock at their house told her she had ten minutes so she desperately hoped Jana was the intended victim and not someone else that happened to have a 'J' name and the last name 'Gwydien.' The fact that someone was set to shoot on the street Jana walked to school on was a key indicator that she was the target. Paige sighed in relief upon seeing Jana, perfectly unharmed for the moment, walking down the street toward her with her arms laden with her school books. Paige orbed out again, acutely aware of the sounds of police sirens coming closer, and orbed in behind Jana. She swore she heard a gun load and thus did the only thing she could think to do. She tackled Jana to the ground. Jana instantly reacted by rolling to the side and slamming Paige into the ground but she froze as a bang shattered the air and a bullet grazed by them. She was even more stunned when she saw it had been Paige that had tackled her. "Paige?" she asked in surprise.

Paige grabbed her wrist and orbed them out just as police cars pulled to a stop and jumped out of their vehicle with their guns loaded. Paige and Jana reappeared in the Halliwell Manor attic where Paige faced Jana with a sheepish smile. "I don't think you should go to class today," she stated with a nervous, almost guilty, laugh`.

"Really?" Jana returned sarcastically though she really didn't look too upset. "What's wrong this time? Is it my turn to vanquish some evil witch or do I get the pleasure of taking out someone with a gun?" she joked.

"Not exactly and it's a long story so I'm just gonna get straight to it," Paige decided with a nod to herself. "Do you know why anyone would want to kill you today?"

Jana smirked slightly. "Well, it is Friday the 13th," she pointed out.

"So?" Paige pressed.

Jana shrugged. "It's a day of bad luck for anyone," she began, uncharacteristically hesitant. "Er, I'm also a witch practitioner so the bad luck is a little more real," she admitted.

"A practitioner?" Paige repeated in surprise.

"Yeah, well, the demon of fear isn't too picky, I guess. He doesn't usually use guns though. At least, from what I've heard. I've never actually, you know, faced him or anything," Jana rambled while twirling a piece of her hair.

Paige stared at her for several moments. "Alright, yeah, um, I think it'll be safest for you to stay here with me. My sisters are picking up someone else and trying to hunt down who's trying to kill us all," she explained, not really sure what to say.

"So it's not the demon of fear?" Jana asked.

"We don't know but somebody tried to shoot up our house this morning so Prue and Piper went to check it out. I was just supposed to get you. We'll have to wait for them to check back in with us," Paige answered with a shrug. They fell silent and Paige suddenly smiled over at Jana. "So what exactly is a witch practitioner?"

~PO4~

Darryl's Police Car

Darryl and Phoebe raced down the road in his patrol car with his lights and police siren going at full speed. He swerved rather dangerously around another car and slammed his foot back on the gas.  
Phoebe was looking at him as if in a new light from the passenger seat. "Hey, you know, you can ask me anything you want about being a witch," she prompted with a smile at him.

Darryl didn't cast her a glance. "No, thanks," he declined instantly.

Phoebe fell silent but only for a second before looking back at Darryl. "It's actually really cool. We have this book. It's called the Book of Shadows…"

"Too much information, Phoebe," Darryl interrupted.

Phoebe ignored him. "No, but its…"

"Nothing I wanna know about," Darryl insisted loudly. "I'm serious. I don't wanna know anything," he repeated as if the drill it into Phoebe's brain.

"Come on, you don't even wanna know if we can fly or anything like that?" Phoebe questioned with a soft laugh.

Darryl shook his head. "I don't even wanna know if you own a broom, a skillet, a cauldron, a dust buster. I don't give a damn."

Phoebe laughed, enjoying Darryl's reaction. "What about Andy? I'll spill his…" she trailed off as Darryl took his car through a sharp turn that caused Phoebe to grab hold of the seat as she swayed. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," she exclaimed.

"Phoebe, I stare down death everyday with Andy but I'm trained to handle it and that's in this world. I don't know if I want to be dragged into another one. If Andy can do it, fine for him but I'm not Andy," Darryl retorted.

Phoebe's smile fell a little and she fixed Darryl with a serious look. "You know, I think it's too late, Darryl. But we won't let anything happen to you, I promise," she assured him before glancing around at the building they were coming up on. "Are you sure this is the right address?" Phoebe asked.

"Better hope so. It's the only M. Steadwell registered," he answered. Darryl chanced a glance at the clock. "Damn, it's almost ten o'clock," he cursed.

~PO4~

A woman stopped outside the building in question that was her shop and put the lock in the key. From her angle, she couldn't see the bomb rigged to blow as soon as the door opened.

~PO4~

"Oh, is that her?" Phoebe demanded, her eyes on the woman.

Darryl pulled his police car up on the curb and jumped out. The woman didn't notice and she turned the door knob. "No, don't!" Darryl yelled, running up to her and tackling her safely away from the door.

Phoebe was just getting out of the car when the building exploded and debris flew everywhere from the blast. "Darryl!" she screamed, unable to see through the smoke and dust.

She ran through it until she found Darryl and the woman on the sidewalk seeming okay. "Oh my god, is everybody okay?" she questioned.

"Yeah," Darryl replied after taking a deep breath of relief. "Are you okay, Ms. Steadwell?" he inquired.

Ms. Steadwell was staring at her shop with a look of wonder. "It worked," she stated, earning a funny look from Phoebe. "I can't believe it worked!" Ms. Steadwell spun on Darryl.

"I cast a protection spell and it actually worked! My first spell," she exclaimed and then fell into a fit of laughter.

Darryl stared at her as if she was crazy before looking over at Phoebe. "Don't tell me she's a witch too," he pleaded with a sigh in his voice. Phoebe just smiled sympathetically.

~PO4~

Hit woman's Apartment

Prue, Piper, and Andy walked inside the hit woman's apartment and the elevator closed behind them. There were several moments of silence as each inspected the lavish apartment.

"Look at this place. Lalique fixtures, silk woven rugs. I could get used to living here in a hurry," Prue admitted, obviously impressed.

"Yeah, you just have to know who to kill," Piper pointed out. "I'm gonna go check the kitchen," she offered before turning in that direction.

Andy's eyes scanned over the perfect room. "Look for her real name and watch out for any traps. I wouldn't put it past this woman to have the place rigged in case someone else started going through her stuff," Andy warned. He waited until he received a nod from Prue before inspecting the drawers in the living room.

Prue smiled and turned for the bedroom. "Alright, I got the bedroom," she said to herself. Her eyes widened as soon as she set foot inside. "Wow…" Prue whispered. Prue spotted the open wardrobe and couldn't resist taking a peek. "Oh, oh! Oh my! Oh nice! Ooh…" she exclaimed upon seeing the fur coats and leather clothes. Her eyes landed on one dress in particular and she reached up to pull it out.

~PO4~

Piper opened the refrigerator and freezer in the kitchen to find that it was empty. She frowned and moved on to the cabinets to find they were empty as well.

~PO4~

Prue pulled open another wardrobe to find it laden with wigs and make-up and jewelry of all different colors and styles.

~PO4~

Andy had just spotted the roses on the table next to the elevator when the apartment phone began to ring. He hesitated before changing directions to answer the call. He didn't speak into it at first but waited to see who was on the other end.

~PO4~

Piper looked inside the mail keep and searched through the envelopes but they were all labeled with "current resident" instead of an actual name. She took them with her as she walked back out to the living room to find Andy on the phone. Andy saw her and silently pointed toward the roses before saying something into the phone. Piper watched him curiously for a moment but eventually went to check out the roses.

~PO4~

Prue smoothed out the leather dress that she was now wearing and pulled a leather jacket over her arms. She smiled into the full length mirror and then twirled to get a better look at herself in the clothing.  
Andy walked in at that moment but stopped in the doorway upon seeing Prue. He coughed to get her attention while he leaned back against the wall, watching her.  
Prue spun around in surprise but relaxed once she realized it was Andy. "Oh my god, Andy, look at these clothes!" she exclaimed and then struck a pose for him.  
"Believe me, I'm looking, Prue," Andy assured her. "It's a good look for you but did you find anything that might suggest who she actually was?" he pressed, almost distractedly as he continued to watch Prue check herself out in the mirror.

"Not really," Prue admitted, twirling in another circle again.

"Okay, guys, she must not have lived here long, all the mail is marked current resident," Piper announced as she joined them in the bedroom. She stared at Prue in surprise.

"Were you twirling?" she asked.

Prue stopped again to face Piper and Andy. "No, but, um, opportunity knocked and I did answer. Check out this wardrobe!" Prue insisted with a wave of her hand in the corresponding direction.

Andy rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "The front desk sent a machine call reminding the hit woman that her bill was coming up in a week," he added, mostly to Piper as Prue wasn't really paying much attention.

"Did they say a name?" Piper wondered.

Andy shook his head. "They just said resident of apartment 312," he answered.

Piper nodded to Andy before letting out a sigh. "Prue, honey, we need you to focus," she berated lightly.

"I can't. It's not just the clothes," Prue insisted, pulling open the wardrobe that contained the accessories. "Wigs, make-up kits, prosthetic enhancements."

"I wonder if anybody knew what she really looked like," Piper questioned aloud.

"I doubt it," Prue decided.

Piper turned her gaze away from the accessories and back to Andy. "The roses did have a cover name," Piper offered.

Andy started to ask what the name was but Prue beat him to speaking. "What roses?" Prue demanded instantly.

"They're in the living room addressed to Ms. Hellfire," Piper replied.

"Ms. Hellfire?" Andy repeated.

Prue almost looked flattered as she pushed past her fiancé and sister to get into the living room. "Really?" she asked under her breath.

Piper smirked at Prue's reaction. "Mmhmm…" She exchanged an amused glance with Andy before he trailed off after Prue and Piper continued to look through the bedroom in case the distracted Prue had missed something.

Prue picked up the card that was attached to the roses. "Until we meet at last, Bane," she read thoughtfully.

"It's a promising name," Andy joked, but before Prue could respond there was a click of several guns. Andy instantly had his gun out and pointed in the direction of the elevator to find three men pointing their guns at him and Prue.

"Don't move. Don't even flinch or you're dead," the leading man ordered, eyeing Andy pointedly. Andy didn't move and Prue had frozen next to him so the three men continued forward. "That's it. Tell your henchman to drop his gun and you slowly turn around," he addressed to Prue. "Watch her hands, she can kill you with them in a second," the leading man told his underlings before looking back at Prue. "Ms. Hellfire, I presume," he greeted.

Prue very slowly turned to face them and made a motion for Andy to lower his gun. He only did so slightly but it was enough to assure they weren't over-threatening the other three men. "You Bane?" Prue returned with a glance at Andy as two of the men approached them on either side.

"I'm his right-hand man, DJ. Bane is very unhappy with you. He'd like to see you now," DJ answered.

"Like hell," Andy snapped, bringing his gun back up but they didn't respond as Piper walked in after having froze them.

"Okay, sorry to disappoint you boys. Let's go, get outta here, come on," Piper prompted movement from Prue and Andy.

Prue hesitated but followed a few steps as Andy grabbed her arm and started to pull her toward the elevator. "You know, um, they- they think I'm Ms. Hellfire," she pointed out.

"So?" Piper pressed while Andy frowned more as he didn't like where it was going.

"So maybe I should go with them. I mean, maybe the best way to find out who hired her is to pretend to be her," Prue argued.

"No," Andy decided immediately.

Prue looked pleadingly at Andy. "Oh, come on, Andy. I mean, Piper said herself that nobody knows what she looks like, certainly not this Bane guy and I know your cop instinct is saying to take the opportunity," she countered.

Andy shook his head. "Prue, you realize, Bane isn't happy with Ms. Hellfire. When the leader that hires the hit woman isn't happy then they kill the hit woman more often than not," Andy retorted.

"Besides, somebody might know what she looks like," Piper added.

"Yeah, but I can protect myself. I mean, I have something that they don't have. Something that guns can't even compete with," Prue insisted.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Today may not be the best day to boast about your powers," Piper scolded.

"Okay, look, you…" she glanced at Andy, "… can come with as my henchman as they assumed already. Worst case scenario we orb out or you freeze them or something. Besides, if this hit woman was hired by a demon then it's only a matter of time before he finds out that P. Halliwell and P. Matthews are still alive and send someone else. So we have to do something," Prue argued. She smirked slightly as she realized Piper and Andy were reluctantly agreeing with her. "I mean, if you have any better ideas then I'm certainly game," she continued for good measure, knowing that they didn't.

Andy sighed loudly and reached into his pocket to pull out his police mark. "I hate it when you do that," he groaned. "Give anything that can ID you to Piper. We don't want to get caught," he ordered, passing his police mark and his license into Piper's arms.

"Okay," Prue agreed and then skipped back to stand where she had been when the men had been frozen. Andy joined her much less enthusiastically. "So unfreeze them."

Piper stared at Prue in concern. "Is it just me or are you a little too eager to play this role?" she asked.

Prue shrugged and offered her a confident smile. "It's not a bad role to play," Prue returned.

"True. If you wanna get yourself…" Piper started.

"I'll make sure she gets back in one piece," Andy interrupted.

Piper grumbled but started back for the bedroom where she'd hide until everyone left. "Don't block me, Prue," she warned as she disappeared.

A few seconds passed before the room unfroze and DJ continued as if nothing had happened. "Are you gonna make this easy or not?" he demanded.

"Put that thing away before you hurt yourself," Prue snapped, her demeanor having changed immediately upon DJ unfreezing. She waved her hand for Andy to follow her into the elevator but DJ stopped her.

"No, Bane only requested you," DJ explained harshly.

Prue chanced a glance toward Andy, who had tensed at the confrontation. Prue just smiled and took a threatening step toward DJ. "He comes. A girl shouldn't go anywhere unprotected," she retorted. DJ didn't look happy but he didn't protest as Andy pushed his way into the elevator to stand next to Prue. Piper glanced around the corner to see the elevator close all five of them inside.

~PO4~

Bane's Hideout

Bane was seated comfortably on a lush couch along the edge of a bar area. There were bodyguards on either side of him and one of his underlings was reporting.

"I swear to god, Bane. I tried to get the money for you but I… I messed up. I messed up," the underling admitted while wringing his hands nervously. Bane casually took a sip of his drink. "I was scared. I didn't know how you were gonna react," he continued.

"You lied to me," Bane stated emotionlessly.

The other guy looked terrified. "I didn't know, I didn't know," he started.

"You made a mistake and you're sorry for it, right?" Bane interrupted. He was hardly listening to anything after that as the door opened and Prue, Andy, DJ, and the other two guards walked inside.

"Right. Yeah," the guy promised, more than a little surprised.

Bane didn't cast him another glance as his eyes were focused solely on Prue. "Well, lesson learned, alright? Just never lie to me again. Understood?" Bane pressed impatiently.

He nodded enthusiastically and started to back away. "Thank you," he gratified and then took off in case Bane changed his mind.

Bane stood up and met Prue halfway to the bar. "Wow, you are more beautiful than I imagined," he complimented, looking her over appreciatively. That was until he noticed Andy that stopped at Prue's elbow. "Who're you?" Bane demanded.

Prue inconspicuously moved so that she was just barely touching Andy and a telepathic link formed between them.

Andy frowned, not liking the weird feeling of knowing Prue could hear his every thought. He could also feel her hesitance at the almost possessive look Bane was giving her. Act like you're my kick-ass boss, not my fiancée. You're undercover, remember? A hit woman.

"My escort," Prue answered Bane's question for Andy. She had a quick flash of approval from Andy but pushed it away to focus on Bane as he was now looking at her. Prue smiled at him and made a show of taking her jacket off and handing it Andy without a glance at him.

Bane seemed satisfied with the colder interaction between Prue and Andy and decided the supposed escort wasn't a threat to him relationship-wise. "Did you like the roses?" he asked.

Prue pretended to think about it for a moment. "I would have preferred orchids," she returned with a smirk.

"Beautiful and honest," Bane laughed and then held out his arm for her to take. "Let's take a walk," he suggested.

Prue took a step forward in silent agreement. Bane? She knew Andy would know what she meant.

No. Someone higher. I'll keep a lookout and warn you if I sense the demon.

Prue broke the connection as she stepped too far away from Andy.

"You know what to bring," Bane said to DJ before leading Prue toward the stairs. "What do I call you?" Bane eventually asked.

"What you always call me," Prue insisted.

~PO4~

Andy guessed he would be considered on the same level as DJ and therefore waited while DJ grabbed a bottle of champagne. It allowed Prue and Bane to have a more private conversation but he made sure Prue was in his sight the whole time as he trailed up the stairs a safe distance behind her. "Champagne?" Andy inquired. If he could get a conversation going, he might get some useful information.

DJ glanced over at him. "The best," he replied shortly, making it clear he didn't want to talk to Andy.

~PO4~

"Ms. Hellfire seems so cold in person. Unless your emails to me have been a tease," Bane admitted and then fixed Prue with a calculating look.

Prue smiled disarmingly. "I think you know me better than that," she stated, dropping into an offered seat at the top of the stairs. She glanced behind her and located Andy nearby with DJ before giving Bane her attention.

"Do I?" Bane retorted before taking a seat across from her. "You didn't confirm the Halliwells this morning," he began, getting to the business.

"Uh, I didn't have a clean shot," Prue lied. She could swear she could feel Andy's eyes boring into her at this conversation turn but she forced her gaze to meet Bane's instead.

Bane ran a hand through his hair. "That's disappointing," he admitted. "And Gwydien, I heard the cops showed so what about the last name on the list?" he pressed.

"Steadwell?" Bane nodded slightly. "It was a blast," Prue fabricated hopefully. She was walking a thin line and she knew it.

Bane nodded, seeming satisfied. "Like your style. Always have. The problem is you still got the Halliwells plus the Matthews girl and Gwydien but you've only got until midnight to take them out," he pointed out while DJ opened the bottle of champagne. "Did your man get caught?" he asked, earning a look of confusion from Prue. "The one that was supposed to take out Gwydien." Bane glanced toward Andy as if he expected it to have been him that failed.

"He won't be a problem anymore," Prue replied cryptically. "Um, don't worry about the Halliwells, I know their every move. And Gwydien is being remedied as we speak," she promised.

"I'm getting a lot of pressure, you know," Bane reminded her.

"From who?" Prue questioned before she could stop herself.

Bane glanced at her suspiciously. "You know who," he told her, narrowing his eyes.

"Of course," Prue remedied with a feigned look of sympathy at him.

DJ started pouring two glasses of champagne when Prue's cell starting ringing from her jacket pocket. All eyes turned to Andy before swiveling to Prue as if waiting for instructions from her. Prue was just going to ignore it. "Aren't you gonna answer that?" DJ inquired.

Prue sighed and waved Andy over. "Yeah," she decided and then flipped the phone open that Andy handed her. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, what happened to you this morning? You completely disappeared," Jack's voice sounded through the

"Well, they'd better be a rich client. Time is money," Jack returned.

Bane offered Prue one of the glasses. "Champagne?" he asked.

Andy stepped forward suddenly and took the glass from Bane. "She doesn't try anything until I have," he explained and took a quick sip before Prue could even react. Bane just looked annoyed but didn't say anything in case it offended Prue.

"Champagne?" Jack repeated in disbelief. "At this hour? Where are you?" he demanded.

"Me?" Prue questioned, desperately trying to keep up with everything that was going on.

Bane stared at Andy, waiting for him to give Prue the glass. "Hey, man, you've tested it and it's fine. Give it back," Bane ordered impatiently.

Andy reluctantly placed the glass in Prue's open hand. Bane offered Andy one last glare before clinking glasses with Prue. "To us," he toasted.

"Hey, Prue, you know me. I'm all for having a good time but we're under serious pressure here," Jack insisted.

Prue clenched her hand around her phone in frustration. "Yeah, I know…" she trailed off suddenly as her astral form appeared at her Bucklands office in a flash of red.

"Are you there?" Jack questioned, his irritation obvious.

"Oh god…" Prue whispered with wide eyes focused on Jack.

"Prue?" Jack called again. There was another flash of red and the astral Prue disappeared and the real Prue's eyes opened to find Bane, Andy, and DJ staring at her. Andy in particular appeared to be fighting his instinct to run and make sure she was okay.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Bane wondered.

"Prue, what the hell's going on?" Jack prompted an explanation for her weird behavior.

Prue took a few breaths to try and get over the weariness that astral projecting seemed to cause her. "I'll call you back," Prue promised Jack and then hung up. Bane exchanged a glance with DJ but DJ just shrugged in reply to the silent question. "Sorry," she apologized to Bane but her eyes flickered to look at Andy.

Bane took the glass of champagne from her. "Perhaps we had better hold off on this one. At least until the job is completed," he suggested, placing it on the table in front of them.

"Guess I better get going," Prue decided while standing up from her seat.

Bane stepped forward to intercept her and grabbed her arm as Prue started for the stairs. "You're not going anywhere…" Andy closed his fingers around the hilt of his gun until Bane suddenly smiled, relieving the tension. "Not without my driving ya," he finished. He waved his hand for Prue to go on ahead and she hesitantly left. Bane turned to DJ. "Tell him I'm on it," he ordered. Andy glanced over at them thoughtfully before hurrying down the stairs after Prue.

DJ didn't look pleased with the order. "Hey, man, why me? I don't even know the guy," he protested.

"You will. Just go to my office and he'll show, okay?" Bane didn't wait for a reply but started after Prue.

~PO4~

Andy stopped next to Prue and passed her the jacket. As she reached for it, he inconspicuously grabbed her hand. Prue quickly understood and allowed a telepathic link to open up between them.

The DJ guy is going to meet him. Probably who we're looking for.

Okay, I'll let Bane take me back to the apartment and you follow DJ or whatever. 

I'm not letting you go with him by yourself.

Andy, we need to know who the demon is…

"You ready?" Bane interrupted, watching them suspiciously.

Prue pulled her jacket from Andy's hands. "Yeah," she replied to Bane. She faced Andy. "Just make sure you get it done and don't get caught like your predecessor," she ordered coldly. Her way of saying 'be careful' in her current position. I'll be fine. Love you.

Love you too. He watched as Bane led her away before spinning around to locate DJ. Andy saw him disappearing through a door up the stairs. He glanced around him and after deciding there was no one watching, followed. The quicker he got this done, the quicker he could meet back up with Prue.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Paige and Jana were seated at the dining room table with their schoolbooks spread across the table when Piper made it home.

"Oh, good, you guys are back. I got Jana," Paige announced, pointing across from her to Jana. "And I'm pretty sure she was the target…" Paige trailed off when she didn't see Prue come in too. She could understand Andy's absence as he probably went back to work. "Where's Prue?" she asked curiously.

Piper smiled wryly. "Impersonating the hit woman," she answered.

Jana appeared surprised. "You guys actually let her do that?" she questioned.

"There's no arguing with her once she's made up her mind. The only thing you can do is compromise," Piper explained, taking the seat next to Jana.

Paige nodded in agreement. "How come it doesn't surprise me that she would do that?" she inquired rhetorically.

"Because your eldest sister has a thing for getting herself into trouble. We convinced her to let Andy go with her so hopefully between the two of them they can figure this out,"

Piper admitted. "Have you heard from Phoebe?"

"Um, yeah, she and Darryl got to M. Steadwell in time. She should be on her way back by now," Paige replied with a casual shrug. Her eyes flickered over to the home phone next to her.

"You waiting for a call?" Piper wondered, having noticed the look.

Jana looked up from her work and met Piper's eyes. "Glen."

Piper made a face that clearly said 'Oh.' Paige forced her eyes to leave the phone. "I think he's mad at me again… well maybe mad isn't the best word. Whenever we talk it's like awkward and now I think he's just avoiding me altogether," Paige admitted.

"Well, honey, you kind of freaked him out with the magic thing. Don't worry, he'll come around. You saw that in the future," Piper assured her.

Paige shook her head slightly. "No, I didn't. I didn't tell him I was a witch until after we were married. And he didn't really come around. We were getting a divorce, remember?" she pointed out.

Piper shrugged. "You've already changed the future. Look, Andy came around and it wasn't even because of magic. Glen will too," she soothed.

"Glen's not Andy. Which as glad as I am about that… it might not bode well for my relationship," Paige returned.

"When Glen comes by today, you'll just have to talk to him again," Jana suggested. "It'll take some time but I wouldn't get too upset yet. He seems like the kind of guy that wouldn't mind being around magic. You know, he's very adventurey and once the shock goes away, he'll probably find it cool," she insisted.

Piper nodded in approval to Jana. "I'm with her, but now, if you don't mind, I'm going to steal the phone in case Prue calls and I'm going to go talk to Dan about fixing our windows," she decided, taking up the phone.

"Why do you need the phone when you can just read Prue's thoughts?" Paige wondered.

"The same reason you don't read Phoebe's much. You never know what you're gonna hear. Plus, it gives me a headache," Piper answered over her shoulder as she walked back into the foyer.

"So how did you guys get to the future?" Jana asked curiously after Piper had disappeared from sight.

Paige smiled a little at Jana's interest. "We cast a spell that was in our Book of Shadows," she explained.

"Dude, I'd love to cast that spell. Too bad my family's not all witchy. We don't have a Book of Shadows," Jana lamented while pulling her textbook back toward her. 

~PO4~

Bane's Office

Andy followed DJ through the hallways, careful not to be seen by any passerbys that might alert DJ to his presence. DJ disappeared through another doorway that he closed behind him. Andy carefully cracked the door just enough so he could see inside and be able to hear the conversation. DJ walked absently around the office and took a seat in front of the desk as he waited for the other guy to show.

Barbas smoked into the seat behind the desk, unnoticed by DJ as he had his back turned. Andy, however, immediately sensed the evil presence and attempted to get a better look. "Looking for me?" Barbas asked.

DJ spun around in surprise. "Where the hell did you come from?" he demanded.

"You really don't want to know. Trust me," Barbas assured him casually. "Why aren't the witches dead?" he continued.

DJ looked confused. "Witches?" DJ repeated.

"Answer me," Barbas ordered impatiently.

"How did you know they weren't dead?" DJ questioned.

Barbas smirked. "One develops a…" he trailed off sniffing the air. "… sixth sense about such things when you've been in purgatory for as long as I have. I made a deal. It gives me a twenty-four hour window to break free. But now you people, you gotta kill those witches if I'm going to be successful," he explained, waving a finger at DJ in a scolding manner.

"Who are you?" DJ managed to ask.

Barbas' smile fell. "A demon," he answered, standing up from his seat and crossing the room to stand in front of DJ. "A demon who has the power to turn the innermost fears of a mortal into reality and there's nothing you can do about it. Want to see?" Barbas asked. He didn't wait for an answer but waved his hand over DJ's face. "Your greatest fear is that your boss is being double-crossed and when he finds out, he's gonna kill you for not protecting him…"

Andy jumped back as the door separating him from DJ and Barbas flew open to slam against the wall.

DJ didn't notice the other man as he saw Bane having kicked the door open and point the gun he held at him. He screamed as bullets pierced his body and drove him to the floor. The Bane in front of DJ disappeared as suddenly as he came and Barbas passed DJ to get to the door.

Andy saw him coming and orbed out just as Barbas would have seen him. As it was, Barbas caught the sight of orbs disappearing before he turned back to face DJ. "Your fear may yet come true if you don't do something quickly," Barbas warned with a smirk over at the surprised and confused DJ.


	12. Ms. Hellfire Part 2

The Halliwell Manor

"I can have my crew install some temporary windows sometime by tonight," Dan offered. He glanced over his shoulder at Piper while he continued to measure the windows.

Piper paced around the room, hitting the phone against the palm of her hand nervously. "Great, thanks," Piper appreciated.

Dan stepped down off the step-stool and looked over Piper curiously. "Waiting for a call?" he guessed, nodding at the phone.

Piper stopped her pacing. "Yeah, I'm just a little worried about Prue," she admitted cryptically.

"I don't blame you after what happened," Dan remarked with a sympathetic look at Piper. "What makes you think it was a drive-by?" Dan questioned.

Piper shrugged slightly. "Um, I don't know. A wild guess, I guess," she offered.

"Can I ask you something? Like a favor something?" Dan suddenly asked.

"Uh, sure," Piper agreed hesitantly.

"See, there's this friend of mine that's getting married in Tohowan in a month and I'd like to go but I'd be gone for two days and a night. Jenny can't miss school and I can't leave her by herself overnight…" Dan started.

Piper smiled, partially in relief. "You want to know if we would mind letting her stay here, right?"

Dan nodded sheepishly. "Guilty," he admitted.

"I don't see why it would be a problem," Piper assured him. "She's a sweet young lady," she complimented.

"She is," Dan agreed. He was silent as if inwardly debating. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming with me? I mean, if you could get off work and all," he blurted out, apparently the real source of his nerves.

Piper looked surprised. "Me? With you? Overnight?" she repeated unable to stop herself in her surprise.

"Separate rooms, you know," Dan added hastily. "I just thought that since I've met your family and friends, you might want to see some of mine," Dan rambled.

"Piper? Phoebe's back!" Paige's voice shattered the silence between Piper and Dan.

"In here!" Piper called back before returning her attention to Dan. "I don't know what to say," she admitted.

Dan nodded in understanding. "Say you'll think about it," he pleaded.

Phoebe, Paige, Jana, and Marcy walked in at that moment. Marcy tapped Phoebe on the shoulder for her attention and pointed at Dan. "Oh, is he a wi…"

Piper flicked her wrists and froze the room before Marcy could finish her sentence. Marcy and Dan froze while the sisters stared at Jana in surprise.

"Hey, why aren't you frozen? You froze last time," Phoebe demanded in confusion. "Did you purposely not freeze her?" she questioned to Piper.

Piper shook her head. "No, I didn't," she answered.

"Oh, I think I forgot to mention earlier that Jana was a witch practitioner…" Paige announced suddenly. Piper's eyebrows rose and Phoebe tilted her head to the side.

Jana just smiled nervously. "Uh, yeah, I can kinda draw upon strong magic and needless to say, your house is smothered in it. So I guess that's why I don't freeze in here. I'm sure if you took me outside or something, I probably would," she explained hopefully.

Piper nodded to Jana slightly and looked at Paige. "And you couldn't find time to tell me this earlier?" she pressed.

"I was having Glen issues, okay? It makes me a little scatter-brained," Paige grumbled.

"Well, I think that's totally awesome. What actually is a witch practitioner?" Phoebe wondered curiously.

Piper waved her hand for everyone to be quiet. "Later, there will be time for that later. First, who's she?" Piper asked, pointing at Marcy.

"Would you believe M. Steadwell?" Phoebe returned. "How's Dan?" She nodded in Dan's direction.

"Just asked me to go on an overnighter to see a friend's wedding," Piper answered. "Where's Morris?"

Paige and Phoebe's eyes widened at Piper's answer but it was clear she wasn't in the mood to talk about it. "Um, he's at the morgue putting the hit woman's body under Marcy's name. Where's Prue and Andy?" Phoebe prompted and then smirked a little. "Please tell me they're not sleeping on the job…" she added, earning a snigger from Paige and Jana.

"Oh god, I hope not," Piper admitted, failing to hide a smirk of her own.

"In all seriousness, she's pretending to be the hit woman," Paige explained to Phoebe.

Phoebe's jaw dropped. "What?" she prompted.

"Have you heard from her by chance?" Jana wondered.

Piper shook her head slightly. "No, I have not. She's way overdue and Andy's not usually one to check in late when it's something this serious," she stated.

Paige reached out for the phone. "Well, instead, maybe we should ask Darryl if he's heard anything from Andy," Paige suggested.

"Maybe… oh and guess what? Prue's got a new power. She can astral project now," Piper added.

"Are you kidding me?" Phoebe exclaimed, stomping her foot on the ground.

"Awesome," Paige admitted.

"That's a totally wicked power," Jana agreed.

Piper just nodded to them. "Are you kidding me?" Phoebe repeated, stomping her foot again for emphasis.

"Nope," Piper assured her.

Phoebe sighed dramatically. "I hate her," she groaned.

"I know," Piper soothed while Paige and Jana laughed at Phoebe's reaction. "Alright, I'm gonna send Dan home. You and Jana keep Marcy in the house until this is all over…" she ordered with a look at Phoebe. "You, call Darryl or something. I know Prue is okay but I still don't like not knowing what's going on," she continued with a look at Paige.

Her sisters nodded in agreement. "Yeah, alright, then we'll talk," Phoebe decided.

"Yeah," Piper sighed.

~PO4~

Ms. Hellfire's Apartment

The elevator doors opened allowing Prue and Bane into the apartment. "Well, thanks for the…" Prue trailed off as she saw orchids placed everywhere around the room. "…ride," she finished in surprise.

Bane smirked at her reaction. "You said you preferred orchids," he pointed out.

"I'm impressed," Prue admitted.

"I'm glad. Now close your eyes," he ordered. Prue stared at him hesitantly. "Trust me…" Prue took a quick breath to hide her nerves and allowed her eyes to flutter closed. Bane reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a jewelry box. "Go ahead, open them," Bane allowed. Prue obeyed and found him holding the jewelry box out for her. "And open this when I leave okay?" He let Prue take the box before continuing. "Now, remember, three Halliwells and Ms. Matthews by midnight. On second thought, make it by ten. It gives me more time to take care of it myself in case you fail," he reminded her. Bane watched her for a few more seconds before leaning closer to her. Prue turned her head at the last  
second so that Bane kissed her cheek. He looked surprised and Prue forced him a dainty smile in the hopes that he'd take it as playful. It seemed to work as he smiled and flicked a lock of her hair away from her face before turning away for the elevator.

As soon as the elevator door had closed behind Bane, Andy stepped out from the bedroom. "I really don't like that guy," he stated with a glare at the elevator.

Prue jumped, dropping the jewelry box in her fright as her hand flew to her heart. "Andy, you about gave me a heart attack!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry," Andy apologized sincerely as he kneeled down to pick up the box Prue had dropped. "But I don't think I could have stayed hidden any longer. Especially if he got any closer to you," he admitted, a hint of bitterness in his voice. He opened the box to find an expensive diamond necklace placed in it. He didn't say anything but passed it to Prue expectantly.

Prue didn't take it but just looked over it. Eventually she reached out and closed the box. "I like the one you gave me better," she replied to his silent question. "It's much simpler and just as pretty," she added with a small smile.

"Which one?" Andy asked curiously.

"The silver heart," Prue answered.

Andy laughed softly. "I got that for you for like your twelfth birthday, Prue," he pointed out.

"Fourteenth, actually," Prue corrected, joining in his laugh.

"Yeah…" Andy trailed off, still holding the necklace box. "You sure you don't want this? It's expensive," Andy pressed.

"Maybe but it didn't and would never mean anything. Another reason why yours is better," Prue retorted lightly.

Andy nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him while his other hand sat the jewelry box down on the table. "Come on, I think I know who the demon is. We have to warn your sisters," he decided.

"I think we should take the car, just in case someone is watching for me," Prue suggested.

"What car?" Andy inquired curiously.

Prue held up a set of keys. "Would you like to try it out first?" Andy just grinned in agreement and took the keys from her.

~PO4~

The Coroner's Office

The coroner was tidying up for the night when DJ and Barbas strolled in with a purpose. The coroner dropped his work and approached them. "Wait a minute. You can't come in here," he snapped at them. DJ didn't answer but grabbed the front of the coroner's shirt and pushed him down on an autopsy table. "What do you want?" the coroner asked.

Barbas leaned over the coroner. "Why, your greatest fear, of course. Which…" he trailed off to pass his hand over the coroner's face. "… is being autopsied yourself," he stated.

The autopsy tools rose of their own accord and hovered over the coroner before starting up with a sickening spin. The coroner screamed in horror as it drew closer.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Paige sat between Phoebe and Jana with Marcy rambling on about something in front of them as she picked up anything within reach that could potentially be used in a 'spell.' Piper was off pacing, unable to get in touch with Prue outside of her slight telepathic connection which just told her Prue wasn't dying or anything. Jana was nodding absently to whatever spell Marcy had created for protection, Phoebe seemed to be on the verge of gouging her eyes out, and Paige had her head dropped in her hands.

The doorbell rang and Paige let out a cheer from her relief. She'd take her Glen problems over Marcy's incessant talking any day. Jana and Phoebe looked at her pleadingly but she just smiled. "Glen's here," she announced even though they already knew that. With that, Paige spun around and skipped to the front door. She opened it and fixed him with a smile until she actually took him in.

"Oh, do you need more time?" Glen asked. He was dressed nicely for their date tonight and had quickly noticed Paige must not be ready yet.

Paige inwardly cursed, having completely forgotten about the date. In her defense, there was the whole somebody hired a hit woman to kill her and her sisters thing that had seemed more important at the time. "Uh, Glen…"

"You can't come?" Glen guessed, sounding surprised but reading it in her guilty expression.

"We kind of have a situation going on," Paige admitted cryptically. She opened the door wider, silently inviting him inside.

Glen frowned a little as he stepped inside. "A situation?" he repeated suspiciously. "Is it another magic thing?" Glen asked.

"Well, actually, we're not entirely sure but quite possibly. See, this morning some lady just walked in our house and started firing a gun at us," Paige explained, laughing nervously. "And then, Prue sort of infiltrated the crazy lady's like system so we're waiting to hear from her… which is why I forgot to call you," she continued. "I'm really sorry," she apologized hopefully.

Glen shrugged it off. "It's fine. Sounds like a tough day," he assured her though he did sound a bit disappointed. "Do you think we could just got get a cup of coffee or something? You know, we'll stay close in case Prue calls…" Glen suggested.

Paige inwardly debated before sighing softly. "Maybe once Prue calls and I know she's fine…"

"It's cool," Glen interrupted, way too cheerfully to be real.

"We could go up to my room and make everyone else stay down here," Paige offered and then allowing her falsely happy smile fade. "Yeah, it's not really the same thing," she sighed.

Glen took her hand and pulled her toward the steps. "It'll be fine. I mean, you have a TV up there," he assured her. He paused when he passed the kitchen and saw Marcy babbling on about spells and random object. He looked questioningly at Paige.

"Just ignore her," Paige whispered, hastily pushing him up the first few steps before Marcy could see him and start talking. She wasn't taking any chances.

~PO4~

The Coroner's Office

DJ pulled open one of the freezers for the bodies and unzipped the body bag, revealing the hit woman. Barbas just looked down at the body with a smirk. "Doesn't look much like an explosion victim to me," he pointed out. DJ shook his head slightly in silent agreement with Barbas' observation. "I think your fears of a double cross are justified," Barbas admitted.

~PO4~

Prue's New Porsche

Prue relaxed in the passenger seat of the new car, watching Andy out of the corner of her eye. He looked very much like a child on Christmas day that thought they had just gotten the best toy ever. He was currently messing with the stereo and driving, perhaps a little recklessly so that he could determine the capabilities of the car.

"Yep, it's perfect," Andy finally announced after taking a sharp turn while flooring the gas.

Prue rolled her eyes, unable to understand how a car could be that interesting. "Sorry, baby, I don't think you can keep it. Insurance on this thing would be more than the house payment," she pointed out sympathetically.

Andy nodded in understanding. "That's okay, I wouldn't keep this one anyway. My competition gave this to you," he reminded her with a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Andy, there's no competition, really," she promised, placing her hand on his free one. "Just because he's good looking and has a lot of money doesn't mean I'm going to fall all over him," Prue continued.

"So you admit he's good-looking?" Andy questioned.

"Well, yeah, but you're good-looking too. Besides, you think Monique is hott, my personal secretary I might add," Prue retorted lightly.

Andy smiled in silent agreement. "That's because she is but I see your point," he assured her. "Do you know any demons that use a person's fear against them?" Andy asked, completely changing the subject.

Prue raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, Barbas, the demon of fear. Attacked us last year on…" she trailed off thoughtfully.

"On…?" Andy prompted with a glance over at her.

"Friday the 13th, actually," Prue admitted.

"Well, I think he's the demon you're dealing with here. Any way to vanquish him?" Andy inquired.

Prue shrugged slightly. "I thought we already had. I guess he must have found a way around it but last time I had to conquer my fear for him to be 'vanquished' or whatever happened to him," she explained.

"What fear did you conquer?" he asked curiously.

Prue hesitated, remembering the day clearly. "You were there actually and you were really close to having me admit my secret to your right then and there. Remember when I screamed in the shower and you and Darryl busted in after finding Paige terrified in a car?" she started.

"Yeah, I remember I was furious with you for effectively dodging my questions again," Andy admitted. "Seriously, if there was an award for dancing around the truth, you would win it, hands down," he joked.

"I'm charmed," Prue deadpanned. "He tried to drown me," she answered his previous question. He didn't answer but he quite obviously tensed. Prue allowed a smile to cross her features and decided another change of subject would be lighter. "Piper is going to be ecstatic that Barbas is back," Prue warned sarcastically.

"You mean more ecstatic than she was with your idea to impersonate Ms. Hellfire?" Andy laughed, eagerly allowing the subject change.

Prue narrowed her eyes in Andy's direction. "Don't give me that, you're a cop. You have to think it's kinda fun too," she defended herself.

"It's exciting and you were quite convincing. If I wasn't so worried that you'd take it to heart, I'd ask if you ever thought you were in the wrong career," Andy allowed. "As it is, if you ever want to me to be able to relax then let's not make this a habit," he suggested hopefully.

"How about I just promise to tell you and let you come with me if I decide to infiltrate demon territory again?" she bargained.

"Deal," Andy agreed.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"Oh my stars!" Marcy exclaimed as she pulled the kitchen cabinets open to look at the sisters' potion ingredients.

Piper, Phoebe, and Jana ran in to see what was wrong. "What is it? What's wrong?" Piper demanded, her eyes scanning the room for anything dangerous.

Marcy pulled out two bags of ingredients and faced the three other women. "You can't keep wolfsbane and holy thistle on the same shelf. Their harmonics are in complete opposition. I mean, I don't want to second guess a sister witch but this is all wrong. I don't see how you can cast a spell that's worth a darn," she explained seriously.

Piper glanced at Jana as if to ask if such ideas were a witch practitioner thing. Jana just held her hands up innocently. "Don't look at me," Jana stated and then mouthed the word 'crazy' with a point at Marcy.

Phoebe nudged Piper in the ribs and Piper followed her gaze to Marcy, who was pulling out all their ingredients. "Now wait just a minute, Missy," she started but trailed off at the sound of a car door closing.

Phoebe ran to look out the window and her jaw dropped. "Oh my god, Prue's home… I think," she announced and then glanced over at Jana. "Tell Paige to come here. She's got to see this," Phoebe added.

"That's Prue alright," Piper admitted. She led the way to the foyer while Jana cut from the other sisters up the stairs to find Paige and Glen.

"Wow," Phoebe allowed as soon as Prue had walked in the door.

Prue stopped in front of them and Phoebe moved around her to check out her clothing while Piper smiled in greeting. "Gee, Prue, it looks like being a hired killer agrees with you," Piper complimented.

"I didn't want to run the risk of anyone seeing me out of uniform," Prue explained.

Everyone turned toward the stairs as Paige came running down them with Jana and Glen trailing behind her. "Oh my god, Prue! First, you look hott. Second, where is my charge? I've been worried." Paige threw her arms around Prue in greeting.

"We've been worried about you too," Piper followed with a stern look at Prue.

"Andy's at the car waiting for me and I'm sorry but we didn't want to jeopardize my cover," Prue apologized.

Phoebe nodded approvingly. "Nice cover," she remarked.

Glen had moved to stand by the window, considering going out to talk with Andy. "You guys have a Porsche?" he demanded in surprise.

"We have a Porsche?" Paige repeated with wide eyes.

Piper smirked at Prue. "A gift from Bane?" she guessed.

"Look, I need to get back before they get suspicious. I just came by to tell you guys what Andy thinks," Prue interrupted, ignoring all the questions about the car.

"Who's he think is trying to kill us?" Jana prompted curiously.

"Barbas," Prue answered. "Outside what he thinks, is there any evidence or have you found something different?" she questioned.

Paige shrugged slightly. "Well, it is Friday the 13th and every person on the list that we know of is either a witch or a witch practitioner," she offered.

"M. Steadwell was?" Prue inquired.

"Yeah, a hyperactive witch practitioner," Piper grumbled. She shot a look at Jana and Prue raised her eyebrows thoughtfully.

Jana just glared playfully at Piper. "Hey, now, not every one of us is like that," she insisted while jabbing in the direction of the kitchen where Marcy was.

"Does anybody remember how many names were on the list?" Paige asked to the room.

"Eleven but if you count P. Halliwell three times, thirteen," Phoebe replied.

Prue nodded as it seemed Andy's guess was right on. "The deadline is midnight tonight as well," she added.

"Sounds like Barbas to me," Paige remarked, earning a nod from each of her sisters and Jana.

Phoebe shook her head in disagreement. "But we eighty-sixed him already," she pointed out.

"Maybe he made a deal or something," Jana suggested with a shrug. "I think there's enough evidence to suggest that Barbas is behind it."

Andy came in through the front door and stopped just inside. "Prue, if we're gonna meet Bane again then we need to start moving," he explained and then offered the other sisters plus Jana and a very silent Glen with a wave and a half-smile.

Prue nodded to Andy before facing her sisters. "Andy's right, I need to get back and see if I can flush Barbas out," she agreed, turning away from them.

Piper grabbed her arm to stop her. "Prue, you can't go back there," she insisted.

"Piper, it's almost eight. I have got to get to Barbas fast, otherwise, Bane's gonna want to see four bodies, our bodies," Prue argued.

Phoebe smirked slightly. "Have fun," Phoebe wished.

Prue hesitated leaving and fixed Phoebe with a funny look. "Phoebe, I'm working," she stated.

Phoebe rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "More like you're working it," she laughed.

"Just make sure you stay with Andy," Paige cut in and then glanced over at her charge. "You hear that Andy? Don't leave my sister somewhere with Barbas by herself," she called.

"I'd never dream of it," Andy returned.

Piper was shaking her head emphatically. "No, you guys are nuts, this is dangerous," Piper snapped.

"Andy and I can handle it," Prue promised.

"No, Barbas can paralyze you and use your greatest fear against you," Piper reminded her.

"How? I've already conquered my fear of drowning. What else can he do?" Prue pressed.

Phoebe looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe tap into another fear," she offered.

Paige frowned at the thought. "Well, Andy can always come and get us or Prue could just yell for me and we'll be right there with her. He can't hurt her when she's not by herself," she pointed out.

"Exactly," Prue agreed with a nod of approval at Paige. "But for now, I'll be fine. I'll call you guys and check in-in an hour," Prue promised and then left with Andy.

Jana looked from one sister to the next curiously. "Can she really handle it?" she questioned, trying to read their faces.

"We'll find out," Phoebe replied with a shrug.

Glen walked away from the window and grabbed Paige's arm. "I need to talk to you," Glen explained.

"Glen, hi, you've been quiet. I kinda forgot you were there," Phoebe admitted sheepishly.

Glen just smiled and waved it off. "It's fine. I didn't really know what you were talking about anyways," he admitted before looking at Paige.

Paige allowed Glen to pull her toward another room. "Sure thing, Glen."

~PO4~

Reptile Room Bar

Prue and Andy stopped outside the door, giving Prue a few moments to get her Ms. Hellfire act together. "So how do I look?" Prue asked, a little nervously though she'd never admit it.

"Like I need to find us an empty room," Andy answered with a smirk.

Prue rolled her eyes but couldn't contain a smile from gracing her features. "Later, Andy," she promised.

Andy reached in his pocket and pulled the jewelry box Bane had given Prue earlier. "I think he'd be expecting you to wear this," Andy pointed out.

"I like the one I got on. I don't need that one," Prue retorted, fingering the small silver heart.

"If you're sure then let's get this over with. Be careful. With you wearing that, he's going to be all over you," Andy warned seriously.

"I will, I promise," She assured him and then threw the doors open for a dramatic entrance. Andy stayed by the doorway, watching her as much as he dared without giving away that he was more than just a bodyguard.

Bane's initial reaction was very much how Andy had expected. He met her halfway across the crowded bar and took her hand, pulling her toward him. "You look like you're ready to celebrate. Are the Halliwells and the Matthews girl dead?" he questioned.

Prue slid her long fur jacket off, allowing her tight leather pants and small, revealing leather top to show even more. "The night's young. We have a little bit of business to discuss," she replied, laying her jacket down on the bar.

"What? All work and no play?" Bane joked with feigned disappointment in his voice.

"Oh, we'll play. Right after I get my money," Prue retorted.

"Oh, you'll get paid when they're dead," Bane countered, not surprised by her words in the slightest.

Prue shifted around slightly as he leaned closer to her. "You know, the boss has a nasty habit of disappearing in the middle of the night. I'd hate for my money to disappear with him," she explained. "Can I trust you? And Barbas?" she added, tilting her head to the side questioningly and forcing him to pull just a little bit away from her.

"I'm disappointed that you would doubt either one of us," Bane admitted.

Prue met his gaze confidently. "I wanna talk to him," she stated.

Bane nodded and backed away a step. "Well, like you said, the night's young," he repeated her earlier words and then pulled her toward the dance floor. Prue chanced a glance over at Andy and met his eyes. She gave him a slight thumbs up that everything was going as planned and he offered the slightest of nods that he understood. Then she found herself surrounded by other dancers that blocked Andy from sight and Bane started to pull her through the moves of the dance. She hesitated again as Bane once again leaned toward her and she quickly grabbed his hand and had him spin her, deterring him for a moment. He finished the move before he wrapped an arm tightly around Prue's waist and  
pulled her tight against him. DJ suddenly came up from behind them and tapped Bane on the shoulder. Prue was more than a little relieved as Bane backed away a step but forced herself into a disappointed stance. "DJ, what's your problem?" Bane demanded, obviously irked at missing his chance again.

"I need to talk to you," DJ replied seriously.

"Better be life or death," Bane muttered under his breath before smiling apologetically at Prue. "Excuse me," he wished, kissing the back of her hand and then following DJ off the dance floor. "Make it fast," Bane ordered.

"I just came from the morgue," DJ started.

Bane smirked and took a sip of a drink that the bartender handed him. "Looking for a date?" he joked.

"No, checking on yours. She's a fraud," DJ explained.

Bane tore his gaze away from Prue to glance at DJ. "What are you talking about?" he questioned unamused.

DJ grabbed Bane's arm. "Marcy Steadwell isn't in the morgue and I think the real Ms. Hellfire is," DJ insisted.

Bane's gaze flickered back to Prue, who was moving through the crowd of dancers toward the edge. "I don't believe it," Bane whispered but his uncertainty was clear in his voice.

"Barbas believes it," DJ pressed his point.

Bane saw Prue stop at the edge of the crowd and followed her gaze to the doorway where Andy, her presumed bodyguard, was waiting. "Wait until I get her and then take care of him. Take a few others with you. I'm not taking any chances," Bane ordered. He strolled through the crowd and quickly caught Prue's eye, who returned to meet him right in the middle of the dancers. Bane took her hand and started to pull her toward the back entrance of the club… away from Andy.

"Hey, where're we going?" Prue asked in surprise.

"Well, you said you wanted to see Barbas. Now's the best time," Bane explained. Prue flashed a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure Andy had noticed her but she couldn't see him. She frowned but Bane didn't wait for her to think anything through and she was out of sight of the main room. She just hoped Andy had seen her and was following.

~PO4~

Andy was so intent watching Prue as Bane pulled her back on the dance floor that he didn't cast the group of three men a second glance as they passed him on the way out of the main bar room. He paced by the door. There was something wrong. He was sure of it but couldn't see anything that might suggest why he felt that way. It wasn't until pain exploded in the back of his head that he realized what he'd neglected to worry about. He fell into the wall beside the door, nearly falling unconscious but he managed to keep his head by steadying himself against the wall. He was hit again, this time in the side and then felt his gun ripped from his belt.

"Take him out and dump him somewhere," one of the men ordered followed by a click of a gun.

Andy heard footsteps approach and he forced his eyes open. On instinct, he grabbed the closest man's arm and pushed it to the side so that the bullet fired wide. He pushed his attacker into the wall, making sure his head hit hard enough to knock him out. The next was already advancing and Andy slugged him in the face, knocking him to the ground. He heard the light click of another gun being loaded and he reflexively released Piper's freeze and not a moment too soon.   
The bullet froze mid-air just about a foot away and so did the last attacker standing. Andy side-stepped the bullet and grabbed his gun from the frozen man's hand before hitting him over the head with his gun. He dropped unconscious  
and Andy ran back to the door to find Prue. Obviously, they had been found out or at the very least, someone was suspicious of them. His heart sank when he didn't see Prue anywhere. Neither did he see Bane.

"Paige!" Andy called, his panic rising.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Piper dialed the number to Prue's cell for the third time since she had left and after calling Andy's cell twice to only receive no answer. Behind her, Jana was curled on the couch, reading a book while Marcy ran around the room with a smoking piece of sage and Phoebe ran after her.

"Marcy, please," Phoebe pleaded but Marcy kept skipping along.

"Favor us Sister Moon with your protective beams," Marcy sang while waving the smoking sage around the room.

Piper stuck a finger in the ear that wasn't listening into the phone to block some of Marcy's sound. "Oh, please, stop," she muttered under her breath.

"Give who dwell within this spell, safe days and sweet dreams," Marcy finished in her sing-song voice.

Piper irritably dropped the phone and flicked her wrists, freezing Marcy. "Okay, that's all folks," she announced.

Jana looked up over the edge of her book. "I think I like her better this way," she remarked casually.

Phoebe nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean… who knew perky could be so annoying?" Phoebe exclaimed.

"How long do you think I can keep her like this?" Piper asked, tilting her head to the side in a calculating manner.

"Your power, your call," Phoebe replied with a shrug. "Hey, did you reach Prue or Andy?" she questioned, turning to face Piper.

Piper shook her head. "No, still not answering their cells. They really should have checked in by now," she worried.

The three women turned to the foyer when the doorbell rang. "Ooh, maybe that's them," Phoebe suggested.

"Ringing the bell?" Piper countered unconvinced.

Phoebe shrugged. "Well, maybe they lost their keys," she offered.

Jana laughed softly. "Both of them?" she retorted, earning a playful glare from Phoebe.

"I bet Marcy would agree with me. Right, Marcy?" Phoebe asked the frozen practitioner while Piper went to answer the door.

Piper opened the door to find Dan on the other side with a large piece of plywood board. "Dan," Piper greeted as cheerfully as she could muster.

"Hey, Piper," Dan returned, maneuvering the large piece of wood through the doorway.

"Uh, Dan, wait," Piper called, lightly grabbing his arm.

Dan stopped and faced Piper. "I wanted to bring this over and leave it for my crew. They're having trouble finding enough plywood," he explained and then offered a wave to

Phoebe as the younger Halliwell walked into the foyer. "Hey, Phoebe," he offered.

"Hey, Dan," Phoebe echoed. "Piper, don't forget about the…" Phoebe trailed off with an incoherent mumble.

Piper understood and nodded enthusiastically. "Mmhmm."

Dan watched the exchange curiously. "Is this not a good time?" he asked.

"Never," Piper admitted before she actually thought about what she was saying. "I mean, always," she corrected with a wide smile at Dan. "Come on back. Here, let me help you,"

Piper wished, lifting up the board as much as she could. Her purpose to keep it up so that it blocked Dan's view of the frozen Marcy.

"No, I got it," Dan promised her but Piper didn't let go. He slowly worked his way toward the solarium. "Piper, I got it. Piper!" Dan protested as they made their way along.

Phoebe walked back into the conservatory where Jana and a frozen Marcy were. She slowly pulled off the blanket that she had thrown over Marcy in case Dan managed to get a peek inside the room. "What am I going to do with you while he's here, Missy?" she asked rhetorically.

"Have her go annoy Paige," Jana suggested with a smirk.

Phoebe laughed at the thought. "Diabolical. I like it," she admitted before pushing Marcy slightly so that she unfroze.

"For those who dwell underneath this roof," Marcy started singing as if she hadn't been interrupted.

"Okay, you know, Marcy, there's lots of rooms that need protecting upstairs," Phoebe insisted, breaking Marcy's 'spell.'

Marcy looked at her and then looked confused as she noticed Piper was missing. "Wait a minute, where did Piper go?" she inquired.

"Oh, she just cast a little spell of her own," Phoebe lied, earning a snort of amusement from Jana.

Marcy's eyes widened in realization. "Ohhh!"

Phoebe waved her toward the stairs. "Yes, lots of rooms upstairs, honey. Quietly, quietly," she pleaded. Phoebe hastily followed after the departing Marcy.

~PO4~

Piper and Dan finally made it safely to the solarium and sat the board down on the floor. "So how you doing?" Dan questioned.

"Fine, it wasn't that heavy," Piper feigned ignorance at what he was really talking about.

"No, I'm talking about everything," Dan corrected in concern.

Piper nodded and offered him a small smile. "Oh, I'm fine with that too. I'm just actually a little stressed but everything's gonna be okay," she assured him.

"So have you thought anymore about my offer?" Dan asked. Piper hesitated and he immediately continued. "Hey, you know what? I don't wanna push you," he admitted.

"I know. It's just that today's been so crazy, I just haven't really been able to think about much," Piper hastily explained.

"Hey, you just let me know when you're ready," Dan allowed. Piper gave him the faintest of nods before he pulled her closer to him and drew her into a kiss. His arms wrapped around her, holding her tight until they eventually pulled apart. Dan smiled, kissed the top of Piper's head, and then moved around her to leave her with her thoughts.

~PO4~

Ms. Hellfire's Apartment

Bane held the door open for Prue to walk ahead of him into the bedroom. She complied with forced confidence and tried to figure out why they had to ride in a car when the apartment had been only a block away. It was easier to debate that in her head than to wonder if Andy was behind her somewhere.

"You know, it's not midnight yet. We still have time. Lots of time," Prue assured him, mostly just to break the silence.

Bane closed the door behind him and pressed Prue against the wall. "Did you think you could fool me? Get away with it?" he demanded, dropping his act. "You killed the woman I loved," Bane accused.  
P  
rue's forced smile faded and she took a tiny step away from the obviously angry Bane. "What are you talking about?" she returned.

"You killed Hellfire," Bane stated.

Prue tensed and met his gaze evenly. "I am Hellfire," she insisted.

"Liar!" Bane yelled, shoving Prue backwards.

Barbas smoked in behind Prue and caught her before she actually hit the wall. Prue spun around and gasped softly at his sudden appearance. "So very nice to see you again, Ms. Halliwell," Barbas greeted. He waved his hand past Prue's face.

Bane looked stunned as he stared at Prue. "Halliwell? From the list?" he questioned.

Barbas ignored Bane and smiled down at Prue. "Well, well, well. Can't say I'm surprised. Your greatest fear is that someone will kill your family," he read.

"No," Prue whispered, trying to move away.

Barbas grabbed her and held the back of his hand against her head and she froze. "Oh, yes. The demons are after them. Even as we speak. They have assumed your sisters' and your fiancé's identities in order to kill them. But you must kill the imposters first, by midnight," he explained to her.

"Kill the imposters," Prue repeated almost robotically.

"Yes," Barbas replied.

"Then I get to deal with her," Bane ordered. Barbas glared at him but didn't respond. He let Prue go, satisfied that she would do as she was told.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"I was just thinking…" Paige trailed off as she heard Andy calling her. She tensed in her seat next to Glen and the only noise was the movie rolling.

"Uh, Paige," Glen prompted, waving a hand in front of her seemingly frozen face.

Paige scrambled up from her bed. "Oh, oh… I gotta go, Glen. Okay, I'll be back but I gotta go," she exclaimed.

Glen grabbed her hand before she could 'go.' "What are you talking about?" Glen asked.

"Andy's calling me and he only does that if he really needs help. Actually, I don't know if he's ever really called for me. Maybe once but I think this is important. He sounds worried," Paige rambled.

Glen stared at her for a moment but didn't let her go, even when she tried to pull her hand away. "Paige, it could be dangerous," he pointed out.

Paige looked at him in confusion. "So?" she pressed and then her eyes widened in realization. "I have to go, Glen. He's my charge. It's my job and he could be in trouble. Or Prue. I'm not willing to risk their lives," she argued, her voice rising.

"I'm just saying that you can't just go running in. I don't want you risking your life as much as you don't want to risk their lives," Glen retorted.

Paige didn't immediately reply. "I'll be fine. I'm used to this. You've just gotta get used to it too," she replied and then orbed out without waiting for an answer.

~PO4~

Reptile Room Bar

Andy circled the entire bar several times in his search for Prue in the hopes that Bane hadn't taken her too far for whatever it was he was planning on doing with her. It seemed, however, that Bane had successfully gotten her off the property while Andy had been in his little bar brawl. At least her car was gone. He let out a string of curse words with 'Paige' scattered in-between quite a few of them. He had to find her quickly. His stomach already felt sick when he thought of what Bane might do with Prue if he had found out she was not Ms. Hellfire. Not to mention what could happen even if he hadn't figured it out. He was supposed to be with her to get her out but he had lost her and now couldn't  
find her. He breathed a soft sight of relief as Paige orbed in beside him.

"Andy, what…" Paige started but Andy had already grabbed her arm with such force that she was stunned silent.

"Orb me to Prue. Sense her or something and take me to her," Andy ordered, his voice strained.

Paige's eyes widened and there was the silent question of how he had gotten separated from Prue. She guessed it had something to do with the gash on his head but she knew better than to ask. Instead, she just nodded and orbed them out.

~PO4~

Ms. Hellfire's Apartment

Paige and Andy orbed into the hallway of the apartment complex just as Prue rounded the corner. She stopped dead when she saw them, her eyes emotionless.

"Prue, thank god, are you alright?" Andy demanded, running toward her.

Prue threw her hand out at him. "Imposter!" she snapped at him and Andy was thrown backwards in his surprise.

Paige ran forward to stand between the fallen Andy and her very upset sister. "Prue, what the hell are you doing?" she questioned harshly.

Prue stared at Paige with a deep frown as her eyes met Paige's. "I won't let you hurt them," Prue stated and then waved her hand in a diagonal motion, sending Paige tumbling with a telekinetic blast.

Andy was back on his feet and pulled Paige to hers. He orbed them out just as Prue went for another blast at them. They reappeared just seconds after it passed by and knocked over a table. "Hurt who?" Andy inquired carefully.

"My sisters and Andy. You won't hurt them!" Prue answered.

"She's gone crazy or something," Paige decided with narrowed eyes at her sister.

Andy orbed behind Prue and grabbed her from behind. "Prue, snap out of it," he whispered in her ear, only to have her fight out of his grip. "Go get Piper or something to help,"

Andy grunted to Paige as he blocked a punch Prue sent his way. Prue flicked a finger in his direction and Andy managed to absorb the majority of her telekinesis so he was only pushed a few steps back. "Now!" Andy ordered as Paige hesitated. He released the blast at Prue. Prue didn't have time to dodge and was sent rolling along the floor to stop next to the wall.

Paige obeyed without a second thought, leaving Andy to fight off Prue's advances.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Phoebe ran to the door upon hearing the doorbell and opened it to see Darryl. "Hey, Darryl," she greeted quickly.

"Phoebe," Darryl returned with a slight nod.

"Come on in," Phoebe offered, shutting the door behind him. "Thanks for coming so fast. We need you to babysit," Phoebe explained.

Darryl frowned slightly. "Is this one breathing?" he asked suspiciously.

Phoebe couldn't resist a small smile. "Yes, this one is breathing," she assured him.

Darryl nodded, obviously relieved. "Good, where you heading?" he wondered curiously.

"To find Prue and Andy," Phoebe answered.

Darryl didn't look happy with that reply. "Are they missing?" Darryl questioned.

"Well, you know, Prue was impersonating the hit woman and Andy was shadowing her…" Phoebe trailed off when she saw his face. "Andy didn't tell you?" she realized.

"Not that. He said he was helping you guys. That's it," Darryl admitted with a roll of his eyes. "They're missing?" he repeated his question with more worry in it than before.

"It's all a long story and you wouldn't like it but they were supposed to check in by now," Phoebe relayed.

Darryl shook his head in disbelief. "I'm going with you," he decided.

"No, no, you can't. We appreciate it but you can't come with us," Phoebe denied his help.

"You don't have to hide anything from me anymore," Darryl retorted in irritation.

Phoebe nodded soothingly. "I know that, Darryl, but believe me, you don't want to be anywhere near us right now. We would never forgive ourselves if anything happened to you," Phoebe explained.

"Andy's my partner, I'm coming," Darryl insisted.

Phoebe sighed and glanced back toward the conservatory. "Jana, can you come here?" she called, ignoring Darryl's curious look.

There was some muffled movement as Jana got off the couch and came to see what was going on. "What's up?" Jana asked.

"Plan's changed. I need you to babysit Marcy while we go and find Prue and Andy," Phoebe stated, looking questioningly at Jana.

Jana reluctantly nodded in agreement. "We'll just chill here, I guess?" she suggested.

Phoebe nodded just as Piper came down the stairs, herding Marcy in front of her. "Which cleanses the aura of the house and makes it strong," Marcy was explaining to an irritated Piper.

Piper waved her hand around as Marcy sprayed the strong perfume in the air. "Give me strength," Piper grumbled. "Hi, Darryl," she offered.

"Um, he's gonna come with us so Jana…" Phoebe trailed off with a pointed wave at the oblivious Marcy.

"Hey, Marcy, can you teach me one of your protection spells?" Jana wondered, leading Marcy away from the sisters and Darryl. Marcy was already talking a mile a minute despite Jana obviously not paying any actual attention.

Darryl glanced around them curiously. "We just waiting for Paige? Should I start up the car?"

Phoebe exchanged and glance with Piper. "Uh, no, Paige is gonna use her power to get us there," Phoebe answered carefully.

"Oh," Darryl allowed with an uncertain look.

There was a swirl of blue and white orbs and Paige appeared in front of her sisters and caused Darryl to jump back in surprise. "Oh my god, Prue's gone crazy and is attacking Andy!" she exclaimed as soon as she was fully corporeal.

"Huh?" Piper prompted in confusion.

"Prue and Andy got separated and when we found her again she was going on and on about how she wouldn't let us hurt ourselves. I think she's been possessed or something," Paige babbled.

Darryl frowned all the more. "My partner's fiancée has been possessed?" Darryl repeated.

Paige turned to face Darryl in surprise. "Oh, hi," she greeted with a smile.

"Well, where are they now, Paige?" Piper demanded.

"I don't know. I just orbed there. Come on, Andy's holding her off for the moment," Paige prompted quicker action. Piper grabbed Paige's hand while Phoebe grabbed Piper's and then reached for Darryl's, who hesitantly let her take it. "He's coming too?" Paige asked.

Phoebe nodded quickly. "Yeah, now hurry," she ordered.

"Jana, Glen's upstairs, feel free to badger him," Paige yelled to the conservatory before orbing them all out.

~PO4~

Ms. Hellfire's Apartment Complex

Paige orbed back in where she had left Andy fending off Prue. The fight had heated up since she had been gone. Andy had Prue pinned against the ground but was struggling to keep his hold on her as she hit him with her telekinesis again and again. As he couldn't absorb anymore, the power backfired on him throwing, not only him several feet through the air but slamming Prue into the ground. An equivalent of something heavy falling on top of you so that you lose your breath.

"Okay, everyone stop!" Piper ordered, running forward to stand between Prue and Andy.

Andy stood up, still eyeing Prue warily even though she had yet to move after his absorption backfire. "Piper, be careful. She's completely confused or something," Andy warned.

Piper waved her hand in acknowledgement and walked over to Prue. She took Prue's hand and helped her eldest sister to her feet. Why are you attacking him?

Imposters… Demons impersonating them. Stop them before they hurt Phoebe, Paige, and Andy.

Piper tilted her head to the side curiously. They aren't the imposters.

They're tricking you, Piper. They're trying to get close.

"Imposters…" Piper whispered as Prue's insistence invaded and corrupted Piper's thoughts. It suddenly made perfect sense. It was a wonder she hadn't been killed before finding Prue.

~PO4~

"What are they doing?" Paige asked, poking Phoebe in the side while her eyes stayed transfixed on their elder sisters.

"Piper's probably trying to talk her out of her crazy thoughts," Phoebe suggested with a shrug. "Andy, you okay?" she called.

Andy's eyes flickered from Prue and Piper over to Phoebe, Paige, and Darryl. "Yeah… you should never have taken her to kickboxing class, Phoebe," Andy groaned before he noticed Darryl. "Hey, Morris, what are you doing here?"

"Came to find you. Remember last year when I told you to never follow a lead without checking with me first. This would be included under that," Darryl remarked, disapproval clear in his voice.

Andy shrugged slightly. "This really isn't the same thing," he argued.

Darryl rolled his eyes. "This really is, Trudeau," Darryl retorted.

"Alright, you two, partner issues later," Paige interrupted as Piper and Prue faced them. For some reason, she didn't feel any better. "Did you fix, Prue?" she asked hesitantly.

She was answered with Prue waving her hand in a backhand motion that sent her sliding across the floor. "Piper, do something," Phoebe yelled. Prue used her hand to send Phoebe backwards where she slammed into a chair and knocked it over.

"Hey, that's enough," Darryl ordered. He charged at Prue as the eldest Halliwell sister turned against Andy again.

Piper flicked her wrists and was satisfied when Darryl froze. She was shoved to the side as Andy tried to subdue Prue's telekinesis by keeping her busy with hand to hand. Andy knocked Prue to the ground again and Piper spun on him. "You touch my sister one more time and I'll send your demonic ass straight to hell!" she warned, flicking her wrists repeatedly in an attempt to freeze Andy. Prue kicked Andy's leg out from under him and in his distraction, Piper managed to freeze him. Prue and Piper turned to face Phoebe and Paige.

Phoebe grabbed Paige's hand and they dashed out into another hallway. "What is going on?" Paige demanded.

"I think Prue used her telepathy to convince Piper that she was right or something," Phoebe offered.

"What do you mean by that?" Paige questioned with an irritated glance over her shoulder.

Phoebe shrugged slightly. "Just think about it. If Prue really believes that we're imposters then it might not be all that hard to convince Piper to believe the same," Phoebe pointed out.

Prue followed them out into the hallway. "I won't let you kill my family," she stated. She flicked a finger at a decorative plate and sent it spinning at Phoebe and Paige.

"Plate!" Paige yelled and sent it crashing into a wall away from her and Phoebe. "She has gone completely insane," Paige hissed in frustration.

Phoebe pushed Paige down the hallway. "To the patio, fast," she ordered. She and Paige spun in circles for a place to hide before Phoebe pointed frantically at a plant lattice. They both squeezed behind it just as Prue stalked out after them. 

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Phoebe whispered, feeling a sneeze come on.

"Don't you dare," Paige snapped under her breath just as Phoebe released a loud sneeze that turned Prue back in their direction. "Okay, so what do we know?" Paige asked.

"That she doesn't know we're her sisters," Phoebe answered immediately.

"Alright, okay, we need to convince her we are…" Paige decided.

Phoebe shifted nervously as Prue closed the distance between them. "How do we do that?" she inquired.

"I don't know… split before kills us," Paige ordered, running out one side of the lattice while Phoebe ran out the other.

Prue hesitated, looking between them. "Hi!" Phoebe greeted for no other reason than to keep Prue's attention on her while Paige got a little further away.

"Hey, Prue! You can't catch me," Paige taunted.

"Uh, no, it's me you want, over here. Leave Missy Paige alone!" Phoebe insisted, backing away.

"Come on, Prudence!" Paige yelled.

"No, me!" Phoebe argued.

~PO4~

Piper watched Prue advanced after Phoebe and Paige before stalking between Darryl and Andy. Her purpose just to keep them frozen. She heard the shatter of the plate outside the room she was in and turned toward the door. Andy unfroze and before Piper noticed, grabbed her hands and forced them behind her back so she couldn't freeze. She struggled but he found, compared to Prue, that she didn't have the hand-to-hand skills. Andy kicked out at Darryl, nudging him unfrozen. Darryl looked surprised to find no Prue, Phoebe, or Paige and to find Andy trying to hold Piper's wrists.

"Darryl, don't just stand there. Handcuff her or something. Then she can't freeze us," Andy ordered, silently cursing that he didn't have his handcuffs again when he needed them.

Darryl, however, was prepared from earlier in the day and pulled out his handcuffs and clasped them around Piper's wrists tight enough that she wouldn't be able to freeze. "Are you sure, Trudeau?" he asked almost doubtfully.

Andy passed the struggling Piper to Darryl. "Just stay with her. I'm going to go get Prue," he replied before running out after the three sisters.

~PO4~

Prue glanced between one of her sisters to the other before she astral projected over to Paige in a red flash. Her real form's eyes closed but otherwise didn't move. Astral Prue advanced on Paige.

"Oh, wow… that's so cool," Paige exclaimed until Astral Prue started toward her. Her eyes lit with a sudden idea. Ooh, Phoebe, maybe we can convince Astral Prue. Paige spun and ran up the stairs to the top deck.

Phoebe ran past the frozen real Prue and took the stairs after Paige and Astral Prue. "Prue, Barbas has brainwashed you!" Phoebe blurted out as soon as she reached the top.

Astral Prue turned back to Phoebe. "You're going to hurt them," she stated.

"Prue, we're your sisters… Um, you saw my baby album when you were fifteen and it led you to find me when I was nine. Remember?" Paige insisted.

"I taught you how to French kiss," Phoebe followed, hurrying around Prue to join Paige. They quickly moved to put a wall between them and Prue.

"You taught me how to ride a bike when I was nine and then I went and broke my arm," Paige offered. "Come on, Prue, we were at the hospital and your Grams called and you told her you were ice skating with Ellie," she continued hopefully.

Phoebe nodded eagerly. "Even though Ellie had come over to our house and I went running to tell Grams," she added.

Paige glared warningly at Phoebe. "Try not to piss her off even more," Paige advised.

Astral Prue, however, was hesitating just a few steps away from them. "How do you know all this?" she demanded.

"Because we're your sisters, Prue," Phoebe promised.

Astral Prue looked confused. "Sisters…" she whispered.

Paige and Phoebe slowly moved away from their protective wall and toward Prue. When she didn't attack them they pulled her into a hug. A second later, there was a red flash and Astral Prue disappeared, nearly causing Paige to fall over with nothing supporting her anymore.

Prue stumbled backwards at the sudden weariness that pulled at her body but was quickly steadied by Andy, who had arrived just moments ago. "You okay, Prue?" Andy asked warily.

Prue nodded slowly. "Yeah," she assured him and turned her eyes to look at the upper deck where Phoebe and Paige had been.

"Prue, are you with us?" Phoebe called, leaning over the edge. "Is she with us?" she repeated to Andy.

Andy nodded while Prue said "I want Barbas."

"He'll be gone in just a few minutes, Prue," Paige pointed out.

"No, he's back early. Who knows what rules apply or don't. I don't wanna take any chances. Let's go show him what his greatest fear is," Prue retorted.

Phoebe smirked and nodded in agreement. "Yep, that's Prue…" she admitted to Paige before addressing Prue. "Let's just get Piper first," Phoebe suggested.

"Where is she?" Paige asked curiously.

"Back with Darryl. Come on," Andy answered, leading Prue in the corresponding direction while Paige and Phoebe ran down the stairs and followed.

~PO4~

Barbas watched as the minute hand of the clock moved to 11:57. He frowned and faced Bane, who was leaning against the wall of the apartment. "If she's not back in one minute

then I'm going to spend my last two minutes killing you," Barbas warned.

Bane rolled his eyes at the threat. "Hey, I didn't come to you. You came to me, remember?" he countered.

"That's right," Barbas agreed. "If you hadn't been blinded by your passion then I would be minutes away from freedom right now," he retorted. His head snapped around to the door as Prue strolled in. "Are they dead?" he questioned.

"They're right where they belong," Prue replied. Phoebe and Piper walked through the open door to stand on either side of Prue while Paige orbed inside next to Phoebe with a smirk playing on her face.

"Kill them," Barbas ordered, pushing Bane forward.

Bane pulled his gun out against the four sisters and Piper hastily threw a hand out so that the room froze. Phoebe smiled and walked around Bane. "Ooh, I'm beginning to see your attraction to the dark side," she joked.

"Don't let Andy hear you say that," Paige laughed.

"Too late," Andy announced, walking in to stand behind Prue. "Phoebe, get away from him. He's no good for you," he ordered.

Prue patted Andy soothingly on the arm as she turned slightly to face Piper. "Do you think you can just unfreeze him?" she asked with a nod at Bane.

Piper appeared thoughtful before shrugging slightly. "I don't know, I've never tried," she admitted. She waited for Phoebe to take the gun out of Bane's hand and then walked a few steps forward. A flick of her wrist and Bane unfroze. He looked confused at the appearance of Andy and that he now had no gun.

"Looking for this?" Phoebe questioned with a smirk while holding the gun up for him to see.

Bane looked at Prue. "What's going on?" he inquired.

"Witchcraft at it's best," Prue answered.

Andy held his hand out at Bane and released one of Prue's telekinetic blasts, sending Bane crashing into the wall. "That would be for what you thought about doing with my fiancée," Andy explained with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

Paige high-fived Andy beside her. "Nice one," she complimented.

The clock chimed midnight and Barbas unfroze. "No! No. Nooo!" Barbas yelled as he spun in a fast circle until he was engulfed in flames and disappeared.

"I never get tired of kicking his butt," Phoebe admitted.

"Here, here!" Paige agreed.

Prue pulled away from Andy's arms and approached Bane who was still on the floor. "Just a little something to think about in jail," she told him.

Bane's gaze flickered up to meet hers. "It won't be the only thing I think about, I promise," he returned.

Andy stepped forward while pulling a pair of handcuffs out. "That had better not be a threat," Andy warned, pulling Bane to his feet and clasping Bane's wrists behind his back.

"A compliment," Bane corrected.

Andy mumbled something that sounded distinctly like 'even worse.' He pulled out his phone and waited a second for Darryl's voice to come through. "Morris, it's all clear," he promised before leading Bane out.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Phoebe and Piper laughed as they made funny faces at each other through the newly fixed windows that they were cleaning. "Dan did a really good job with these windows. He is obviously very good with his hands," Phoebe insinuated with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Hey, hands off those hands," Piper warned with a mock glare. She walked around the sliding door and dropped into one of the seats in the solarium.

"So did you decide whether you were gonna go with him or not?" Phoebe asked curiously.

Piper shrugged slightly. "Mmm… I think I will. It's just an overnighter, right? And separate bedrooms," she admitted.

"Yeah, right, no one goes on an overnighter with separate bedrooms. You got different plans," Phoebe teased.

Piper waved a finger at her in a scolding manner as Paige came running in. "Oh my god, Prue's back! Prue's back with the wedding dress!" Paige exclaimed. A second later and the front door opened. "Prue! We want to see!" Paige yelled while Piper and Phoebe scrambled to their feet in case they had to run and chase down Prue.

Their action was unneeded though as Prue walked into the solarium with a large clothes bag that no doubt held her wedding dress. "Okay, here's the deal, none of you are getting married anytime soon. Do you have any idea how expensive this dress was?"

"We don't care. We just want to see it. Open it! Open it!" Phoebe cheered, practically jumping up and down.

Prue rolled her eyes and unzipped the bag and held it up so that the dress didn't trail on the floor. "Oh!" the three other sisters oohed and ahhed.

"Better yet, go put it on. I want see what it looks like with you wearing it," Piper ordered.

"Just make sure Andy doesn't come in. He's not allowed to see it until the wedding day," Prue agreed before heading off for the bathroom. "Oh and you guys gotta come too. I can't put this thing on by myself," she called over her shoulder. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige jumped up and eagerly ran after Prue. They stopped as the doorbell rang.

"Hey, Prue, I think…" Andy started as he approached the sound of the four sisters.

Phoebe and Paige's eyes widened and they dashed to block the door. "No, Andy! You're not allowed in here! Go away!" Phoebe yelled.

Andy froze mid-step and turned away to appease them. "Why am I being excluded?" he asked in confusion.

"Because Prue's about to try on her wedding dress and you're not allowed to see it," Paige explained.

Andy smiled slightly and spun around in the hopes of catching a peek at the surprise dress. He was only met with a shove from both Phoebe and Paige that made him take a step back. He laughed and held out a jewelry box to Phoebe and Paige. "Tell Prue that this is for her, courtesy of my very excited Mom, and that she's allowed to use Ms. Hellfire's apartment to keep her job. $275,000 worth of stuff," he relayed.

Phoebe nodded eagerly, taking the jewelry box. "Alrighty, now go get rid of whoever's at the door. We're not going anywhere," she ordered.

"Phoebe, Paige! We need some help in here!" Piper yelled and Phoebe and Paige took off to help.

Andy opened the door to see Jack on the other side. Jack looked as if he was about to begin a rant but decided against it when he saw it was Andy and not Prue that had answered. "Do you need something?" Andy prompted, perhaps a little coldly.

"Uh, yeah, I need to talk to Prue," Jack replied.

"She's busy at the moment. Can I pass on a message?" Andy offered.

Jack seemed to think the request over a moment before nodding. He squared his shoulders as if to prepare against Andy. "Yeah, actually, you can tell her that it's bad enough she doesn't answer her phone, come into the office, or otherwise appear to be doing her job, but now she's taking me down with her…" he started.

"She told me if you came by to let you know that she acquired an estate worth $275,000. Your boss should get the money by three this afternoon," Andy interrupted. He almost laughed at the dumbfounded Jack. "Is there anything else?" he pressed.

"Uh, yeah, I never doubted her," Jack lied quickly. Andy closed the door in his face, feeling more than a little satisfied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yay, finished! So I did think about using Piper as Ms. Hellfire. Actually she was going to be the one right up until I started writing it. Then I decided at the last minute that I liked this better. Thoughts?


	13. Heartbreak City Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope it doesn't disappoint anyone. I will say that it turned out pretty much exactly the way I wanted it so I'm happy. You'll notice, I replaced the cupid with Coop because it was too convenient not to throw him in a little. There are a couple scenes which I think might be kinda slow but they were necessary and had to happen sometime so better sooner than later, I think

Heartbreak City

An Office Building

Max let his office door close behind him as he was finally free to leave after the day's work. He smiled as Cindy, a friend of his, walked by for the stairs. He grabbed his briefcase and hurried after her. "Cindy," he called, catching up to her at the top of the stairs.

Cindy turned to see who had called her name and smiled shyly at him. "Max," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hi," Max managed to say. He leaned nervously against the wall and tried to come up with something else to say.

"Hi," Cindy echoed, watching him expectantly.

"Working late, huh?" he observed after being unsuccessful at coming up with a better topic.

Cindy shrugged, a little embarrassed. "Yeah, so what else is new, right?" she joked.

Max joined her on the steps and they walked down together. Coop watched as they passed by him and glanced down at his ring. "A match it is," he said to himself as the ring on his finger glowed. He casually strolled after the two.

"Did you guys survive Y2K alright?" Max asked Cindy.

Cindy nodded with a small smile playing on her features. "Sure, if you ask me, it's all just a bunch of hype," she laughed softly.

"Definitely," he agreed.

Cindy and Max stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "I guess I'll see you around," she offered, almost reluctantly.

"Yeah, okay, take care," Max returned, starting to turn away.

"Yeah, you too," Cindy echoed. She turned in the opposite direction.

Coop stepped up between them and held his hand up. His ring emitted a faint glow and time around him slowed down. He approached Cindy first. "Cindy, I know those last few loves of yours didn't work out. You've been hurt and you're scared. But you've got to take a risk if you wanna find the real thing. And Max is real. Open up to him," Coop advised before turning to face Max. "And Max, Cindy's love and compassion awaits you, but she's afraid that you're still in love with your ex-wife. You've got to reassure her. Life's short, you two. So have a better one together," he insisted. He stepped back and time returned to normal.

Max turned back to Cindy. "Listen, you wanna grab a cup of coffee or something?" he asked hopefully.

"Coffee? Yeah, sure, I'd like that," Cindy admitted.

"Great." Max joined Cindy and led her outside.

~PO4~

An Alley

Coop strolled casually down the alley until the demon of hate jumped out from behind a corner and held Coop against the side of a dumpster.

"Hello, friend, I've been looking everywhere for you," the demon announced, attempting to hold Coop still by the front of his jacket.

"Drazi," Coop greeted before throwing a punch into the demon of hate's face and forcing him back.

Drazi cursed but didn't hesitate another second. "I knew I'd find ya," he stated. He charged at Coop again.

Coop, ready for him this time, easily sidestepped Drazi and held his hands up peacefully and spoke in a carefully calm voice. "Now, Drazi, how about we just…"

This time Drazi managed to grab hold of Coop and threw him to the ground. "You couldn't just leave it alone, could ya? You just had to get in the way," Drazi ranted, advancing on Coop quickly.

Coop beamed out and reappeared behind Drazi. "She's happier with him than she ever would have been with you," he replied.

"She's happier? And who are you to decide that? You're the one that went too far and now you're gonna pay," Drazi threatened. Drazi disappeared with the help of his power of intangibility and stalked carefully around Coop. Coop looked around warily, ready to hit Drazi with a wave of telekinesis, but as soon as Drazi reappeared in front of Coop, Drazi slipped his hand inside Coop's chest. Coop grunted in pain and found he was unable to make any of his powers work. "I can do a lot more than that. How does it feel, huh?" Drazi demanded, shoving his hand farther inside so that Coop slumped more but refused to give the demon any other amount of satisfaction. "I can tell ya, I know. Thanks to you, I  
know what it feels like to have your heart ripped out. You don't want to feel that pain, do you?" he asked. Coop swung another fist at Drazi that connected solidly with the demon of hate. Drazi growled but didn't pull his hand from Coop's chest. His eyes connected with Coop's ring. "No, I got a better idea and you're just gonna hate it. Your little magic ring you use to slip in there between the heartbeats, plant your little thoughts of love and I'm gonna borrow it. I'm gonna use it to tear apart some of your more recent unions," Drazi explained while snatching the ring off Coop's finger.

"It won't work," Coop returned defiantly.

Drazi just smirked and pulled his hand out of Coop's chest. "I'm gonna turn love into hate and that hate is going to slowly and painfully kill you. And in the end, you're gonna wish I had ripped your heart out," he laughed, slugging Coop in the face one last time before walking away.

Coop struggled to his feet. "You won't get away with it," he warned under his breath. He watched as Drazi disappeared with his ring and then beamed out of the empty alley.

~PO4~

The Movie Theatre

Prue, Andy, Piper, Dan, Paige, Glen, and Phoebe walked out of the movie theatre with the rest of the crowd that had been watching "Love Story." Prue had her arm linked with Andy's as her fiancé led her down the street. Dan had his arm around Piper's shoulder and Paige and Glen were holding hands. Phoebe ran up between the three couples.

"Seventh wheel cutting in!" she announced.

"You are not," Paige denied, lightly swatting Phoebe's shoulder with her free hand.

Piper nodded in agreement. "Yeah, stop that," Piper insisted.

"Well, it is a triple date," Phoebe pointed out casually.

Prue reached out with her free arm and linked it with Phoebe's. "It would have been a quadruple date if Kevin hadn't canceled," she added sympathetically.

"I know, it seems to be an epidemic lately. Guys canceling on me," Phoebe admitted with a hint of a sigh in her voice.

"I'll hunt them down, Pheebs," Andy offered.

Prue rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're probably the reason they're canceling. Scaring them off," she joked, earning a playful glare from Andy. He pinched Prue's side lightly and she jumped with a squeak.

Paige laughed openly at Prue. "Jumpy much?" she teased.

"Sorry, Phoebe, it happens unfortunately. You know what happens when they cancel," Piper stated with a smile to Phoebe.

"Ooh, back to square one," Prue groaned after glaring at a chuckling Andy.

"Do not pass go," Piper joked.

"And all accrued nookie credits are thrown out," Phoebe finished with a giggle of agreement.

Paige cast Phoebe a sympathetic glance. "Its soo much work to fix," she sighed.

Dan looked thoughtful at their conversation. "I didn't know there was a penalty," he admitted.

"Oh yeah!" Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all said at the same time.

Glen rolled his eyes good-naturedly before addressing Dan. "You obviously didn't grow up with a girl as your best friend," he observed.

"They have a girl handbook to follow with all sorts of rules," Andy added for Dan's benefit. "Then sisters have an entirely different book to follow on top of the average girl handbook," he continued knowledgeably.

"That's right we do," Paige announced dramatically.

"Impressive," Dan replied awkwardly with a calculating glance at each of the sisters.

Glen decided to save Dan from the complicated girl talk. "How did everyone like the movie?" he asked.

"I liked it," Piper answered immediately.

"Loved it except for the bell bottoms," Prue admitted.

"It was great until the end but then it was depressing," Paige spoke up.

Dan shrugged, not really impressed. "It was okay, I guess," he offered.

Piper looked up at him teasingly. "Who are you kidding? I heard you sniffle," she accused.

"Fighting a cold," Dan argued.

Piper rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Liar."

Prue's gaze shifted from Andy to Glen and back. "Come on, Andy and Glen, what did you think?" Prue prompted.

"The girl was hott. It was a shame she died," Glen replied.

"It seemed to lack the luster that Dirty Dozen had," Andy answered.

Paige narrowed her eyes at Andy. "Probably because you and Prue didn't make out the whole time through Love Story like you did Dirty Dozen," she joked.

"We didn't make out through Dirty Dozen," Prue denied, earning suspicious looks from all three of her sisters. "Well, the first time," she amended, blushing slightly as Andy laughed at her attempt at denial.

Phoebe smirked and jumped in the conversation. "I slept through it," she announced.

Andy appeared taken aback. "You slept through Dirty Dozen?" he demanded as if it was a crime.

"No, Love Story," Phoebe corrected. "The last thing I remember is the hockey game."

"That was the very beginning," Piper stated.

"Okay, let me guess, boy meets girl, grim reaper swipes girl, and boy's left with his hockey skates?" Phoebe guessed confidently.

Paige frowned slightly. "Give or take a little," she deadpanned.

"Anybody want a coffee?" Dan questioned as they approached a coffee shop.

"Yes," Glen decided, dragging Paige toward the door. Prue and Piper laughed and they followed with their guys while Phoebe brought up the rear.

Phoebe paused in the doorway of the coffee shop, her eyes lingering on her three sisters laughing with their men. Prue glanced over her shoulder to see where Phoebe had gone and noticed her younger sister standing in the doorway. She pulled away from Andy and walked back to Phoebe. "Hey, you're gonna come get coffee, right? I'll make Andy pay," she offered hopefully.

Phoebe shook her head slightly. "I'm just gonna get a cab, call it a night. I'm pooped," Phoebe insisted.

Prue studied her for a moment. "I'm sorry that Kevin backed out on you," she apologized.

"Ah… it's his loss," Phoebe shrugged it off.

"It is so his loss because you are beautiful, my sister," Prue complimented, pulling Phoebe into a tight hug.

Phoebe smiled into Prue's shoulder. "You're so beautiful," she returned before letting Prue go. "Alright, go see your man. Have some coffee," she ordered.

Prue backed a few steps away while playing with Phoebe's hands. "Okay, I love you," she called.

"I love you too," Phoebe echoed. She watched as Prue joined back up with Andy and then Piper and Paige plus their guys.

She turned back to the door when Coop ran up to her, blocking her path. She didn't notice at first and walked into him. He reached out and grabbed her arm to steadier her.

"Phoebe Halliwell?" Coop asked in a low voice.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes suspiciously as he said her name. "Yeah, who're you?" she inquired, yanking her arm out of his grip.

"Coop and I need your help to…" Coop started.

"Hey, man, do you have a problem?" Dan demanded while he pushed past everyone to confront Coop, who was obviously blocking Phoebe from leaving.

Coop trailed off and there was a flash of irritation in his eyes. "I was just asking for directions to my new apartment. Um, on Cherry Grove Street," he fabricated before fixing his gaze on Phoebe.

Phoebe looked at him even more suspiciously. "Take a left two blocks down and it's that road…" she explained, acutely aware that that wasn't really what this Coop had needed help with. She shifted into a defensive stance as her mind invariably categorized him as a possible demon or warlock.

Coop refrained from continuing his explanation with Dan standing right there and just nodded to Phoebe. "Thanks," he offered and then left without another word.

"Hey, Pheebs, what was that?" Paige asked, running up to Phoebe's side while Dan followed Coop a few steps to make sure he had really gone.

"I don't really know…" Phoebe admitted under her breath.

Prue looked up at Andy with a questioning look as Andy's eyes followed where Coop had disappeared. "Good magic," Andy answered but then shrugged slightly. That didn't necessarily mean anything.

"Should we follow him?" Piper questioned nervously.

Phoebe tore her eyes away from the door to face her three sisters. "I don't think so. Not right now at least," she answered.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Phoebe yawned and left the upstairs bathroom and stopped outside Piper's bedroom. She knocked and pushed the door open. "Piper? Are you still asleep?" she called as she walked in and stopped upon seeing her bed hadn't been slept in. She sighed and turned toward Paige's room. "Paigey? Guess what?" Phoebe opened her door to find it empty as well. Phoebe groaned and walked down the hall to Prue's room. She knocked out of habit but pushed the door open without waiting for an answer. "Prue, I think…" she trailed off at finding Prue and Andy still in the bed and in a rather compromising position.

"Phoebe!" Prue exclaimed in surprise. She waved her hand and before Phoebe could even utter an "Oh, sorry" she found herself back a few steps with the door closed in her face.

There was some soft rummaging and Prue said something like "Andy, pass me that shirt" before the door opened just enough for Prue to squeeze out. She seemed to be wearing one of Andy's t-shirts that fell to her knees.

Phoebe smirked and allowed the faint flush on her cheeks to fade. "I didn't see anything but sheet, I swear… mostly," she assured.

Prue glared good-naturedly. "You know, the point of knocking is to wait until I say it's okay to come in," she pointed out as if talking to a child.

"Yeah, I guess but he's always gone to work by now," Phoebe argued while a curious look crossed her face. "Why isn't he?" Phoebe wondered.

"He took the day off so we can try and figure out what people we're inviting to the wedding," Prue explained.

"I think you guys should just elope," Phoebe suggested with a soft laugh.

Prue smirked a little at that. "Andy's parents already think we have actually," she admitted.

"You have to admit, it does sound like something you two would do," Phoebe stated, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Andy walked out of the bedroom, now fully dressed (if sloppily), to see what was going on. "What is something we would do?" he asked.

Prue turned to face him. "Elope," she answered.

"Why does everyone think that?" Andy wondered aloud.

"You guys always do things at the spur of the moment with hardly any preparation. Remember your prom?" Phoebe pressed pointedly.

"She knows about our prom night?" Andy demanded, a hint of a flush crossing his face.

Prue smiled apologetically. "Come on, Andy, we all know of each other's dirty secrets," she soothed, motioning between her and Phoebe but also meaning Piper and Paige as well.

"So Andy, did that coffee keep you guys up all night?" Phoebe teased, allowing the subject to move away from the prom.

"It was strong coffee," Andy offered as an answer. It would do no good to deny after what Phoebe saw.

Phoebe nodded knowingly. "It must have been, our two other sisters are still gone as well. If only I had bagged Mr. Creepy we could have scored a Halliwell Hat Trick last night," she joked.

Prue hesitated. "Don't be mad," she mumbled.

Andy seemed to notice a sister chat coming on. "I'm going to go make breakfast since Piper probably won't make it this morning," he announced and then left the sisters to talk.

"I'm not mad," Phoebe insisted after watching Andy disappear. "I'm thrilled. Especially for you. You deserve this more than anyone I know," Phoebe whispered, giving Prue a hug.

"I really do think you should consider eloping though. You have the dress and Andy has a suit and you got the priest. It's all you need," she joked.

"I'll consider it," Prue offered with a giggle. "I'm gonna go bug Andy to hurry up with the food. I'm starving," she added before hurrying after Andy.

"Save some for me," Phoebe called after her. She started back for her bedroom when there was a pinkish light that deposited "Mr. Creepy" from last night in front of her. Phoebe screamed and karate kicked him in the face so that he fell back into the wall.

Coop steadied himself and rubbed his jaw gingerly. "Talk about kicking love in the teeth," he mumbled.

"Okay, who are you and what do you want?" Phoebe demanded, holding her fists up in front of her.

Coop held his hands up in the air peacefully. "I'm Cupid, I'm one of them anyway. You can call me Coop. I need your help. The Charmed Ones kind of help and in return I can help you," he explained quickly before she decided to attack him again.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "With what?" she asked.

"To get your love life back on track," Coop offered.

Phoebe frowned, unconvinced. "What do you know about it?" she questioned.

"I'm a cupid. It's my job," Coop replied.

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Phoebe inquired.

Coop shrugged to himself. "I could hope. What can I say? I'm a dreamer," he joked.

"Prue! Andy! We've got a situation up here!" Phoebe yelled, still eyeing Coop warily. He just offered her a charming smile as the sound of footsteps came from the stairway.

~PO4~

Dan's House

Piper lay curled up comfortably on Dan's bed when he walked in with a breakfast tray complete with a beautiful rose. "Oh my," Piper allowed, shifting ever so slightly in her seat.

"All eggs over, bacon crisps, a box of jewelry, and dried toast," Dan listed with a playful smile as he sat the tray carefully down on the bed. Piper stared at him and he offered her a sheepish smile. "I had to make something for Jenny before she left for school," he admitted.

Piper rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she moved into a sitting position. "A box of what?" she asked, picking out those four words out of the rest.

Dan looked a little nervous. "Do you want the morning paper with that?" he dodged.

"What did you do?" Piper inquired, settling herself down in front of the tray. She immediately reached for the jewelry box.

"It's not a big deal. It's not a ring or anything but just because it's jewelry, I don't want you to feel like you gotta keep it. If you wanna take it back, you can," Dan rambled.

"I get it, I get it," Piper assured him while eyeing the box as if she was trying to figure out what was inside it.

Dan smiled and appeared a little excited. "You gonna open it?" he prompted.

She complied and opened the box to find a diamond-studded heart necklace. "Oh!" she exclaimed.

"'Cause if you want, you can take it back…" Dan started to ramble nervously again until Piper moved around the breakfast tray and pressed her lips against his. He quickly responded and drew the kiss deeper.

Phoebe poked her head around the doorway and rolled her eyes at finding Dan and Piper lip-locked. She took a few steps out so that Piper could see her and waved her hands frantically. Piper opened her eyes slightly and pulled away from Dan as she saw Phoebe practically jumping up and down for her attention.

Dan looked confused. "Hey, is something…"

Piper flicked her wrists and froze him before he could finish his sentence. She then turned on Phoebe and jumped off the bed. "Phoebe, what are you doing here? How did you get in here?" she demanded.

"We have got a very big problem," Phoebe explained while running back behind the doorway and pulling Coop out for Piper to see. "Uh, Piper, Coop. Coop, Piper," she introduced hastily.

Coop stepped forward and shook Piper's hand. "Nice to meet you and I'm sorry to interrupt you and Dan," he offered apologetically.

Piper just nodded absently until Phoebe spoke up again. "You have to come home really fast," Phoebe insisted.

"What?" Piper pressed.

"A demon has bit of a vendetta against me and is looking to indirectly destroy me," Coop summarized.

"Wait a minute," Piper started.

"He's telling the truth. The demon's name is Drazi. He's in the Book of Shadows," Phoebe interrupted.

Coop nodded slightly. "We left your Expeller working on the potion while Prue went to pick up Paige," he added.

"Prue refused to interrupt you and Dan," Phoebe admitted.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Smart of her. Where's Paige at?" she asked.

"Glen's," Phoebe replied and then glanced at the still frozen Dan. "Okay. Hurry. Kiss very fast," she prompted before dragging Coop out the door with her.

Piper groaned and stomped back to Dan where she returned to her previous position. "Okey dokey," she muttered under her breath. A second later Dan unfroze.

"… the matter?" Dan finished his sentence as if uninterrupted.

"Yes. Um, there is but not with you. There is absolutely nothing the matter with you, but I do have to go," Piper answered, hastily slipping off the edge of the bed.

Dan laughed nervously. "Hold it. What happened? I don't understand."

"It has nothing to do with you, I swear," Piper insisted as she picked up some of her clothes off the floor.

"Then what does it have to do with?" Dan questioned, his voice a little harder.

Piper grabbed up the rest of her clothes. "It's, uh, complicated," she started and then turned back to face Dan and held up her new necklace. "Thank you for this and you will see it on me tonight at the club," she promised. Piper quickly stepped forward and pecked him on the lips before hurrying out the door.

~PO4~

A Café

Drazi watched through the windows as Max and Cindy enjoyed a cup of early morning coffee with each other. He sat his own coffee down on the counter in front of him and fingered his ring which began to glow a pale green. Max and Cindy finished and stood up. "Hello, young lovers," Drazi whispered with a wry grin at the couple. He took a casual sip of his coffee without letting his eyes stray off the two.

~PO4~

Glen's Apartment

Prue halted just outside the door of Glen's apartment and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "I can't believe I got stuck with this" under her breath. She knocked, fairly certain that no one was going to answer, but at least she could say she did. She sighed and flicked a finger at the door so that it opened and stepped inside.

"Paige!" Prue yelled before realizing the apartment was an open floor plan with her sister and Glen clearly visible on the bed to her far right.

"Prue?" Paige asked in a stunned silence as she pushed a surprised Glen off of her. "What the hell are you doing here?" she stammered, her face turning a shade of red from a combination of embarrassment and anger.

Prue held her hands up in a sign of peace. "Before you start blowing up on me, just listen," she snapped, hands on hips and Paige reluctantly fell silent out of habit. "Look, I got interrupted too so it's not my fault but we have a demon to hunt down," Prue explained. Glen moved to get his jeans off the floor and perhaps some of Paige's clothes but Prue hastily shook her head. "No, no, no, you stay there. I'll get them," she insisted, running forward to grab them. She tossed the jeans to Glen while eyeing him calculatingly.

Glen quickly snatched them from Prue's hands and shifted uncomfortably under Prue's scrutiny. He offered her a charming smile in the hopes that she would overlook a few details… such as the fact that her youngest sister and he… "Uh, Prue, would you like some coffee?" Glen offered.

Paige dropped her head in her hands. "Oh my god, you're such a suck up," Paige exclaimed.

"Forgive me, but she could strangle me without even moving a muscle," Glen returned under his breath but it was still loud enough for Prue to hear. Prue had to work to hide the smirk that was threatening to overshadow her stern gaze. 

"Next time I come knocking just try to answer. I would prefer not to actually see what you do with my sister," she advised before looking back at Paige to see her decently dressed. "Or you could just answer when I call for you and I wouldn't even have to come over here," she added.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, I was busy," Paige argued. "What are we supposed to be doing?" she asked before Prue could drill home her point.

"Remember that guy that intercepted Phoebe last night?" Prue questioned and waited until Paige nodded slightly before continuing. "Well, he apparently needs our help vanquishing some demon that's after him or something," she went on.

"Are you sure that he's actually someone you should be helping?" Glen inquired with a barely noticeable glance in Paige's direction.

"Andy and Phoebe believe so, but Paige is usually are evil detector," Prue replied with a pointed look at Paige.

Paige mumbled something incoherent under her breath. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she promised, pulling her jacket over her arms. She glanced over at Glen and leaned down to kiss him quickly on the lips. "I'll see you tonight," she added.

"We won't be late," Prue offered, taking Paige's hand and pulling her toward the door.

"Bye, Glen!" Paige called over her shoulder just before Prue shut the front door behind them.

Glen stared silently at the door where the two sisters had disappeared. He let out a sigh but a smile played at the edges of his lips. "Bye," he repeated despite knowing they couldn't hear him.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

The four sisters were seated in a line along the couch while Coop stood near an armchair to their left and Andy stood behind the couch, listening closely.

"So we're actually supposed to believe that you're cupid?" Prue asked, her voice radiating her disbelief.

Coop shrugged nonchalantly. "Believing in angels isn't any different," he pointed out with a faint nod in Paige's direction, indicating whitelighters.

"I like him," Paige announced suddenly as she failed to detect anything evil off him.

"Only because he called you an angel," Prue accused lightly.

Paige opened her mouth to shoot back a reply but Piper interrupted. "Where's the chubby baby?" she questioned to Coop.

Phoebe rolled her eyes at her eldest sisters. "Guys," Phoebe tried but was ignored.

"And the bow and arrow?" Prue challenged.

Coop smiled and leaned casually back against a chair. "Myths. Along with the warty chins, hooked noses, pointy hats, and turning people into frogs," he returned.

"Those are descriptions of evil witches like the Wicked Witch of the West. They're good witches like Glinda," Andy argued half-heartedly.

"Exactly," Prue jumped to agree with Andy which earned a laugh from Coop.

"Still missing a wand," Coop countered.

Paige snorted as Prue's confident smile fell at Coop's words. "He's got a point," she teased.

Prue rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. "Okay, fine, show us something supernatural," Prue ordered.

"Drazi took my ring but I can still…" Coop trailed off as he beamed out and reappeared on the other side of the room with another pinkish beam of light.

"It's pretty," Paige complimented.

Andy walked around the couch toward Coop. "You said Drazi took your ring. Why is it important?" he asked in his detective voice.

"It allows me to tap into additional powers. Telekinesis, time manipulation, and the like. It's how I find and put together matches," Coop explained. "Drazi can use it to put in hate and break matches apart which is why I need to get it back," he continued seriously.

Piper shook her head, unconvinced. "Just because you can do something magical doesn't mean you're a cupid. You're gonna have to back up the claim," she stated suspiciously.

Coop nodded in agreement. "Okay," he replied, walking past Andy to stand in front of the sisters. He pointed at Piper first then Prue then Paige and finally Phoebe. "Dan, Andy, Glen, Clay," he listed off respectively. His gaze returned to Prue. "Tom, Eric in London, Alec in college, Andy again in high school…" His eyes shifted to Piper. "Not Jeremy the warlock, Joe in college, Barry in high school, Tim in eighth grade," Coop turned to Paige. "John, Garrett in college, Aaron in college, James in high school, Glen again in high school, Michael in high school, Glen again in seventh grade." Coop paused in his lists as he turned lastly to Phoebe. "Ken, Kyle, Steve, Mike, Ken again, Brian, Joel, Martin, Peter,  
Paul, Tony…"

Phoebe's eyes widened as Coop listed off name after name and she felt all eyes turn to her. "Okay, you know I didn't love all those guys, right?" she interrupted uncomfortably.

"Yeah, but there was potential that was rejected," Coop allowed.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "Are you accusing me of being the problem?" she demanded.

"It's not in my nature to accuse," Coop retorted lightly.

Paige frowned as she noticed Phoebe getting increasingly offended and jumped to change the conversation. "I think he's proved he's cupid, right Andy?" she decided with a pleading look at her soon to be brother-in-law.

Andy was jolted from his thoughts by Paige. "Yeah, sure," he offered distractedly.

Prue stared at him curiously for a moment before addressing Coop. "Okay, so wait, our past relationships, you made those happen?" Prue asked.

"Not exactly. I've only recently been assigned to you four. I helped Paige meet Glen and Piper meet Dan but the rest was another agent," Coop admitted. He smirked and transferred his gaze between Prue and Andy. "I believe the former one had a lot of trouble with the two of you," he laughed.

Prue blushed slightly and Andy ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment. "She was the one being difficult," Andy insisted.

"Well, the other cupid must have been slacking during the truth spell or everything would have worked out much nicer," Prue argued with a playful glare at Andy.

Piper rolled her eyes at them. "Did you connect me with Leo? Or the other one?" she inquired and everyone fell silent.

Coop frowned sympathetically. "Um, no, that was the work of you two. Those connections were forbidden to make for obvious reasons," he answered.

"Obvious reasons," Paige mumbled under her breath.

"Um, wait, I wasn't done!" Phoebe interrupted, turning back to Coop.

"Phoebe, we really need to move this along and stop this Drazi before he can do any damage," Andy interrupted.

Piper sighed dramatically. "Since when have you been all 'let's go vanquish the demon?'" she asked.

"I think he had a lot of fun being Prue's bodyguard during the Ms. Hellfire impersonation," Paige joked.

"I was just thinking that I would like to go on my date tonight. I assume you would too," Andy countered, a little smugly as Piper couldn't say she didn't agree with him.

"Okay, how are we supposed to find Drazi?" Prue hastily changed the subject. "Can you track him down?" she wondered, turning in her seat to look at Andy.

Coop stepped forward. "He doesn't have to. We can sense each other through a cosmic connection. Love and Hate," Coop explained.

"Oh brother," Piper muttered, dropping her head into her hands.

"We can't take Drazi lightly. He's smart and you guys are in danger as well," Coop warned.

Phoebe barely cast him a glance. "We're always in danger. We're used to it," she countered icily.

"I'm not talking physical danger, Phoebe. He can use the ring to break your sisters' relationships up and they won't even notice that it wasn't them in control," Coop attempted to make her understand.

Prue and Andy exchanged a worried glance while Piper and Paige looked a little nervous. Phoebe sighed and nodded in agreement.

~PO4~

The Markets

Max passed some money to the flower vender and took the bundle of daisies in exchange. He smiled gratefully at the vender before returning to Cindy's side. "Sorry, they didn't have any roses," he apologized, a hopeful smile on his face.

Cindy smiled, her eyes widening at the flowers in Max's hands. "You're too good to be true. I still can't believe this is all happening," she admitted.

"Believe it," Max replied. He leaned forward and kissed her right there in the middle of the busy markets.

Drazi rolled his eyes as he walked up to them with his ring glowing an ominous green color. Time slowed until it was nearly at a standstill. His gaze rested on the lip-locked couple before he turned to Cindy. "Touching. Really touching. Cindy, could you be a bigger fool? He's still sleeping with his ex-wife. He looks at you as a desperate, lonely woman. Easy sex," he informed her and then turned to Max. "Max, she's nothing but a gold-digging tramp, who wants to hit your big, fat wallet, just as soon marry ya' and kill you for the insurance," Drazi continued. He nodded to himself, seemingly satisfied. "Bye bye," Drazi stated and then walked away.

Time returned to normal and the couple pulled away from each other. "You pathetic…" Cindy began.

"Bitch!" Max accused.

"Take your damn flowers. Give them to your ex-wife," Cindy snapped, throwing the daisies at Max's feet.

Max barely cast them a glance. "The bank's closing, baby. You're not laying one finger on this guy's money," he taunted. He started to back away while still glaring at Cindy.

"Screw you," she screamed.

Max backed into the street and a car slammed on the brakes just in time to avoid hitting him. He didn't seem to notice anything that wasn't Cindy. "Up yours!" he yelled. A second car honked its horn as Max walked in front of it and didn't manage to stop in time. Max slammed into the front and rolled back onto the gritty concrete where he didn't move.

Drazi just smiled in satisfaction at the outcome.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Coop was talking with Paige in the conservatory when he suddenly clutched at his chest and collapsed. Paige's eyes widened and she was barely able to support him at all.

"Oh!" she exclaimed just as Piper and Andy walked in. "Andy, help," Paige called.

"Prue, Phoebe!" Piper yelled, watching as Andy ran forward and helped Coop to a couch while Paige backed away a few steps.

"What's the matter?" Prue asked after running in with Phoebe.

Piper shrugged and pointed toward Coop. "I don't know. Paige?" she prompted.

"We were just talking and he collapsed or something," Paige explained worriedly.

Phoebe stepped forward and kneeled down next to Coop. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

"It's Drazi," Coop gasped.

"He's breaking people apart," Andy guessed and Coop nodded slightly.

~PO4~

The Markets

An ambulance had arrived and the paramedics were carefully maneuvering the stretcher that Max was on into the back of the ambulance while a police officer was talking to Cindy.

"He just walked into traffic. Dumb ass," Cindy explained, rolling her eyes at as she described what happened. She suddenly eyed the officer intently. "Is he gonna die?" she asked. She didn't sound worried in the slightest.

"I can't answer that," the officer admitted.

"Because he should, you know. I don't think I've known anyone who deserves to be hit by a car more than that guy," Cindy ranted.

Behind all the commotion, Andy pulled up in his police car with Prue while the three other sisters and Coop arrived right behind them in Piper's jeep. Andy frowned and exchanged a glance with Prue before showing his police mark to the other officers and walking toward the main policeman for some information.

Prue waited where she was while Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Coop joined her. "It's Max," Coop recognized him.

"Is he one of yours?" Piper inquired.

"Yeah, I matched him up with Cindy last night," Coop answered with a concerned frown. "She was afraid to risk love too," he added, glancing at Phoebe.

Phoebe placed her hands on her hips. "Are you picking on me?" she demanded through narrowed eyes.

"You can't run from love, Phoebe, you know that," Coop replied, shrugging off Phoebe's demand and getting to the point.

"Oh, does it look like I'm running? Because I'm not running, I'm walking," Phoebe snapped. She narrowed her eyes even more when he just smiled knowingly. "Do you think it's easy finding love with all the demon hunting we have to do?" she continued, even more irritated at Coop's silence.

"You always say something like that. You always think that you never have time for love and I'm going to prove you wrong," Coop stated.

Paige bit her lip slightly at the conversation while Prue and Piper just looked away as if they weren't listening. "Uh, I hate to interrupt you guys but can we..." she waved her hands pointedly for them to move things along.

Phoebe nodded slightly to her in acknowledgement. "Yeah, you're right," she agreed and turned to face Coop. "Let's just stay focused. We have things to do," Phoebe decided.

Andy came back from talking with the other officer. "Witnesses claim that the two…" he waved his hand between Max and Cindy. "… were in a heated argument and he walked into traffic. Hit by a car. The weird thing was the fight erupted quite suddenly," Andy summarized.

Prue's gaze flickered to Coop. "Are you sure Drazi did this?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, he's still here too," Coop admitted, looking over the crowd.

"Where?" Piper questioned.

Coop suddenly pointed at Drazi and the sisters plus Andy turned to look. "There," he answered.

"Is he going to recognize them?" Andy inquired.

Drazi made eye contact with Coop and then noticed the four sisters. His smile fell and he hastily turned and started to hurry away.

"Apparently," Piper stated.

"Okay, we have the potion, right?" Paige wondered.

"Yes," Phoebe replied.

"He's getting away," Prue exclaimed before taking off after him.

Andy was the first to follow after her. "Prue…" he muttered under his breath in a disapproving tone that she ignored as usual.

Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Coop were quick to follow. "We're not going to catch up," Phoebe announced as they tried to traverse around the crowd.

"Piper, freeze him," Prue ordered.

"He's too far away," Piper snapped. "Can't somebody orb or something?"

"In the middle of this crowd?" Andy asked in disbelief.

Paige shook her head at the thought. "That would expose us," she agreed with Andy.

"Well, we need to do something fast," Coop pointed out.

Prue sped up but tripped on some steps in the way. She astral projected just as Andy grabbed hold of her to keep her from falling. Astral Prue appeared in a flash of red, blocking Drazi's path.

"What?" Drazi demanded in surprise. He glanced behind him uncertainly and then back at Prue as he pulled to a halt.

"Surprise," Astral Prue replied. She waved her hand to send him flying but nothing happened. "Oh, whoops, that didn't work…" she mumbled, backing away as Drazi advanced on her. She grabbed a long piece of wood from a stash to use as a weapon. Drazi just smiled and continued forward. That was until Astral Prue slammed him in the stomach with her weapon so hard that he fell to the ground and knocked his head against a dumpster. Astral Prue was enveloped with another flash of red and she disappeared. Prue gasped and grabbed tightly onto Andy's arm to steady herself against the after effects of astral projecting.

Phoebe gently pushed a piece of Prue's hair away from her face. "Are you back with us?" she asked.

"I think so," Prue whispered. "Wow, I really gotta get a handle on that," she exclaimed, allowing Andy to sit her down on the steps.

"Well, did you get him?" Paige questioned curiously.

"No, I just slowed him down, but you guys, I'm fine, go get him, hurry," Prue ordered, waving her hands for them to go.

Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Coop obeyed while Andy stayed back with Prue. "You breathing?" Andy asked jokingly.

Prue smirked at him as she fanned herself with her hand. "Kinda, help me up." Andy complied and pulled her to her feet. "God, I love this new power," Prue admitted, stumbling after her sisters and Coop.

Andy followed closely as if he expected her to fall over any second. "Really? 'Cause I don't really like what it does to you…"

~PO4~

Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Coop ran into Drazi just as he was getting to his feet. "Hiding behind witches' skirts," Drazi taunted to Coop.

"Stealing things that don't belong to you," Piper countered before flicking her wrists and freezing him. "Okay, go," she ordered.

Phoebe started to throw the potion but Paige grabbed it from her hands. "I want to do it," she answered to Phoebe's look of confusion. She didn't wait for a reply but threw it at Drazi.

The potion hit him squarely in the chest and he unfroze as the potion took effect. "What the…" he managed to stutter before he began to melt into a large puddle of black goo.

Prue and Andy ran up at that moment. "Did you get him?" Prue wondered.

"Did we?" Piper repeated with a glance at Coop.

Coop was frowning at what was left of Drazi. "It looks like it," he answered but didn't appear a hundred percent convinced.

"But…" Paige prompted, hearing it in his voice.

"Well, my ring shouldn't have disappeared with Drazi," Coop explained.

"So that's it, right? We're done? You can just move on?" Phoebe pressed impatiently.

Coop smirked, forgetting about his ring as his eyes fell on Phoebe. "In a hurry to get rid of me, Phoebe?" he laughed, apparently amused.

"Look, Cupid, I know you're just trying to help but did you ever think that I may not be ready for love right now?" Phoebe inquired seriously.

"You can be if you would let it," Coop countered lightly.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Don't start. Just go," she retorted.

"What about your ring?" Andy interrupted with a thoughtful expression on his face as he eyed the black goo.

Coop frowned again. "They'll issue me another one when I get back…" he trailed off. "Mind if I look over your book before I leave? Just to check to see if it has any information on my ring?" he asked.

"Mmm… no, go ahead," Prue allowed after exchanging a glance with Piper and Paige, who both nodded to her.

"Care to help me, Phoebe?" Coop offered.

Phoebe crossed her arms across her chest. "Me? Why me?" she demanded.

"Because your sisters all have dates tonight and you don't," Coop replied smugly.

"You're good," Paige admitted before leading the way back to the car. Piper followed and Phoebe, after giving Coop one last glare, went next and then Coop.

Prue started to leave when she noticed Andy wasn't with her. She turned around to find him pacing around the black goo. "Uh, Andy, you okay?" she questioned.

"Yeah," Andy mumbled distantly. "It just… doesn't feel right," he explained.

Prue walked toward him and slid her hand into his. "We can check the book at home if you want. Before we go out," she suggested. Andy nodded and let her pull him back toward the cars.

As soon as they had turned their back, there was faint green glow from the ring as it floated above the black goo. Suddenly Drazi reformed with the help of the ring. He grinned as he looked fondly at it. "Well, it looks like you can't kill love after all. But you sure can screw with it."

~PO4~

P4

"Wow, Piper, your necklace is gorgeous!" Paige enthused while Prue played with the charm.

Prue was looking at Piper a little apprehensively. "So you like it?" she asked hopefully.

Piper rolled her eyes good-naturedly and nodded. "I love it," Piper admitted before glancing over at Paige. "Did I mention that I loved your bracelet?" she questioned.

Paige looked sheepishly down at her wrist and then offered Piper an innocent smile. "Prue said I could borrow it," she insisted.

"Hey!" Prue exclaimed in denial. Piper fixed her with a stern gaze and Prue sighed. "Okay, yeah, I did," Prue grumbled.

Paige slammed her hand down on the table to get her sisters' attention. "I think our table's ready," she announced with a nod in the direction of Glen and Dan that were approaching them. She frowned slightly. "Where'd Andy go?"

"Right here," Andy answered from behind Paige and she jumped slightly in surprise.

"Andy…" Piper scolded with forced seriousness.

Andy just grinned at them before passing Prue a single red rose. "Hey, beautiful, shall we?" he offered.

"Thank you," Prue appreciated, eagerly taking the flower from him while sliding off the bar stool.

Piper took Dan's arm as he stopped next to her. "So I wanted to thank the both of you for my necklace," she explained with a look at Prue and Dan.

Dan nodded but looked a little confused. "You told her?" he asked to Prue.

Paige laughed and answered for Prue. "You know, Dan, if you have a surprise or a secret for Piper, you'd be best off not telling Prue," she admitted.

"Actually, you would really be best off not telling any sister for that matter," Glen added.

"They spoil everything for each other," Andy agreed.

Prue, Piper, and Paige looked offended. "We do not spoil anything," Paige denied while Prue and Piper nodded quickly in agreement.

"Sure you don't," Glen teased. "Alright, let's get this dinner started, I'm starving," he prompted, already leading Paige toward the table. The other two couples quickly followed.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"So what exactly are you looking for?" Phoebe asked impatiently as she paced back and forth in front of the Book of Shadows.

Coop glanced up at her from his place at the pedestal. "Information on the full properties of my ring," he answered.

Phoebe rolled her eyes as she already knew that much. "Okay, but we vanquished Drazi already and you said yourself that 'they'll' issue you another ring so what's the big deal?" she pressed.

"I'm not convinced that he's been vanquished," Coop explained.

Phoebe stopped her pacing and fixed Coop with a curious gaze. "If you thought that then why didn't you say something before now?" Phoebe questioned.

"It's only a theory," Coop replied, flipping the Book of Shadows to another page. "But my ring grants me high resistance to magical attacks. If Drazi can use it, as he has already proven, perhaps the ring grants him the same properties…"

"That it gives you," Phoebe finished with a sigh in her voice.

"Perhaps enough to protect him from being vanquished by your potion," Coop added.

Phoebe suddenly found herself more interested in Coop's extended stay. She looked down at the open page and saw it was Drazi's. "What did you do to piss him off anyways?" she wondered aloud.

Coop took a step away from the book to allow Phoebe a better look. "Drazi fell in love with a mortal woman. I redirected her love towards a mortal man away from Drazi. She's married now, very happy, but he blames me for denying him love," Coop explained.

"Demons can love?" Phoebe repeated thoughtfully. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. We came across a darklighter in love with a mortal before," she admitted.

Coop nodded to her in acknowledgement. "It's not unheard of. More commonly they love fear or evil but sometimes they fall for the very things they hate. Mortals being one of them," he continued. His gaze met Phoebe's for a split moment before she looked back down at the book. He smiled slightly. "Why do you deny it when even a demon craves for it?" Coop asked carefully.

Phoebe froze mid-flipping of a page. "I don't. I'm just picky," she snapped without looking up. Coop nodded but obviously didn't believe her. However, he didn't say anything which Phoebe found surprisingly more annoying. She looked up at him after slamming the book shut. "Alright, since you're the master of love, why don't you tell me," Phoebe challenged.

Coop didn't immediately answer as he regarded her curiously. "You're afraid," Coop eventually replied.

"Of what? What am I afraid of?" Phoebe demanded, her voice a higher pitch.

"Of being hurt… and being left behind," Coop stated. "You move to the next guy without giving the previous one a chance and when they do stick around, you keep them at a distance until they give up and cancel. Why do you do that?" he questioned.

"I…" Phoebe started to deny but trailed off as she met Coop's gaze.

Coop smiled encouragingly. "Your sisters have their guys and they're happy. They have a perfect relationship while you're struggling to just get a date. You're afraid of being the only one unable to find that happiness," he guessed.

"When we went to the future, they were all married… or had been. I had nobody. When Leo… left me in the cell, I realized it," Phoebe admitted.

"What else?" Coop prompted.

Phoebe hesitated and a silence fell between them for several moments before Phoebe spoke again. "It doesn't hurt when people leave."

"Your parents?" Coop pressed.

Phoebe nodded slightly. "Yeah."

"Your sisters?"

"Prue and Andy are getting married. Piper and Dan are pretty serious and Paige and Glen are even closer than they've been before… we can't all live here together forever and it'll just be me," Phoebe explained.

"You're not going to be alone, Phoebe. You're destined for a love just as great as your sisters'. But you have to let it," Coop promised. "Don't let this fear consume you."

Phoebe started to reply but paused as she heard footsteps coming up the attic stairs. "Phoebe? Are you up here?" a voice called just before Jenny appeared at the top of the stairs.

Phoebe instinctively slammed the Book of Shadows closed. "Jenny? What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise. She glanced nervously to Coop and then back again.

Jenny tilted her head to the side. "Uh, because Uncle Dan is on his date with Piper. I'm supposed to stay over here with you, remember?" she prompted as if it was obvious. Her gaze shifted to Coop curiously. "Who are you?" Jenny wondered.

"He's a cupid," Phoebe answered absently before changing the subject. "I thought you were spending the night at a friend's house or something," she started.

"That was yesterday," Jenny replied. She looked back over at Coop. "Cupid?" she repeated.

Coop offered her a smile. "For lack of a better name," he agreed.

"So, Mr. Cupid, sir, can you really make people fall in love? 'Cause there's this guy in my class…" Jenny began.

Phoebe hastily stepped forward and grabbed the teenager's arm. "Okay, Jenny, we've actually got a bit of a situation to take care of so we need to take a trip to the club. Everybody, let's go," Phoebe ordered, dragging the teenager out the door before she could protest.


	14. Heartbreak City Part 2

P4

Prue, Piper, Paige, Andy, Dan, and Glen had a table nearby the stage entertainment. They had a plate of chicken wing appetizers in the middle which Glen was cheerfully devouring.

"This is even better than when you worked at Quake, Piper," Glen complimented as he took another chicken wing from the diminishing stack.

"She only worked at Quake for one day after you came back from Costa Rica," Paige pointed out with a good-natured roll of her eyes.

Glen paused from eating and smirked at Paige. "The point is as popular as Quake was, a club is the place to be," he explained.

"For free chicken wings," Dan added on.

"Exactly, the benefits are awesome," Glen agreed.

"You're very welcome, Glen," Piper laughed while Paige just hit him lightly on the shoulder.

Prue suddenly stood up from her chair and waved for Piper and Paige to follow her. "Bathroom break!" she announced.

"Alright," Piper replied.

"Yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming," Paige promised offhandedly. "We'll be back," she offered to the three men.

Andy nodded to them in acknowledgement. "Don't take too long or your food might be gone by the time you get back," he advised with a glance at Glen. A half-smile pulled at his lips as Glen realized he was the reason.

"Hey!" Glen returned. The three sisters laughed as they ran to the bathroom.

~PO4~

"God, I have to pee," Prue exclaimed. They were forced to stop just outside the bathroom door because of the line to the woman's bathroom.

"You notice, guys never have a line to the bathroom," Paige stated with a nod in the corresponding direction.

Prue rolled her eyes as she saw Paige was right. "Figures," she muttered under her breath to her sisters' amusement. Her eyes landed on Piper's necklace. "You're okay with that, aren't you?" Prue asked.

Piper looked confused at the sudden question. "Okay with what?"

Prue reached out and fingered Piper's necklace. "This. I don't really want you mad at me," she clarified.

"Why would I be mad at you?" Piper questioned in surprise.

Prue and Paige exchanged a glance. "Because I let Dan buy it for you," Prue explained.

"And we weren't sure if you would rather it come from Leo…" Paige added. Piper fell silent and Prue and Paige watched her calculatingly. "Piper?" Paige called softly.

"I don't know. Dan's great but I can't help but remember our trip to the future and wonder if I should try harder for Leo," Piper admitted. She noticed her sisters drop their gaze. "However, I'm not upset that he got it for me, much less you helping him. I can't hang around for Leo all the time when we have no idea what we're doing and Dan… well, you never know," she continued hastily. She looked away in a silent plea to drop the subject.

"I feel strange," Prue suddenly announced.

Paige looked at Prue in concern. "You feel strange?" she repeated. "What kind of strange?" Paige asked.

"Well, I mean, we have these guys out there waiting for us, who care about us. Correct me if I'm wrong but things are going pretty well right now, right?" Prue explained.

Piper smiled a little in thought. "Yeah, nothing like a night on the town after a hard day of demon killing," she joked.

Paige nudged Piper's arm playfully. "You're such a pessimist. I think Prue's got a point," she decided.

Prue looked gratefully at Paige. "See? Missy Paige agrees with me. I mean, think about it, Piper. We did great today and now it's like we're just…"

"Finding a balance in our lives?" Piper suggested.

Prue nodded. "Exactly," she insisted.

"It's about time. It only took us… eh, a year," Paige laughed. "Especially Prue over there," she teased.

"Hey!" Prue denied, crossing her arms across her chest. She smirked and shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay, maybe, but now I think we're gonna be okay. All of us," Prue stated.

Piper sighed softly. "You and Paige maybe. I still have that little secret to deal with," she pointed out.

"Oh, Piper, everybody has little secrets," Prue assured her.

"Including Dan," Paige finished.

"Yeah, well, unless he's a transvestite, Nazi, war criminal with a great face lift… then I think I got him beat," Piper retorted lightly.

The sisters shuffled down in line as someone came out of the bathroom. "You know, I'm actually glad that magic is in our lives. It's kind of the reason I met you guys," Paige admitted.

"No way, I would have found you anyways," Prue countered, wrapping Paige in a one-armed hug.

Paige looked gratefully at Prue before noticing Piper had gone silent. "We can still try to have normal lives sometimes though, right?"

Prue caught on and agreed. "Of course," she allowed.

"With someone like Dan perhaps?" Piper asked, almost as if asking permission.

Prue wrapped her other arm around Piper and drew her closer. "With whoever, sweet girl, I just want you loved," she admitted.

"Thanks," Piper appreciated.

"You're welcome," Prue replied just as several people came out of the bathroom.

"Oh! It's open," Paige exclaimed, dashing forward.

"About time," Piper added. She and Prue quickly followed after Paige.

~PO4~

Glen pushed the empty plate that had been their appetizer to the side. "Okay, maybe you guys can help me…" Glen paused until both Andy and Dan looked over at him. "Can you please explain to me how to make it through a day of shopping without losing your mind?" he pleaded.

Dan rolled his eyes good-naturedly, having thought that it would have been a serious question. "Paige drag you along?" Dan guessed.

"Yes. The funny thing is, we were just going to get her a bridesmaid dress which took long enough in itself but then it somehow turned into a full-out spree," Glen explained dramatically.

Andy laughed at the predictable dilemma. "Just walk away and leave them at it. They won't even notice until they're done. Just make sure you take the keys to the car with you," Andy offered knowingly.

"Did you learn that from personal experience?" Dan asked.

"Sometimes they get a little too caught up in the clothing… or the shoes," Andy continued, pointedly ignoring Dan's question as the story could potentially backfire on him.

"I just don't see what is so interesting about clothes," Glen admitted.

Dan nodded in silent agreement while he transferred his gaze to his drink. "Speaking of mysteries…" he trailed off, debating whether to ask the question or not.

Andy frowned, something in Dan's tone making him suspicious while Glen just waited impatiently for Dan to finish. "Cat got your tongue, come on," Glen prompted cheerfully.

"Piper just sort of has this strange habit of just sometimes… disappearing," Dan finished.

Andy forced a casual smile and leaned back in his chair. "Prue does it too," he replied, feigning nonchalance about the topic although there was a slightly harder edge to his voice. He made a mental note to warn Piper of Dan's suspicions.

Dan seemed unsurprised. "I figured that. Does it bug you?" he questioned.

"It used to," Andy answered shortly as he remembered when he had first started seeing Prue again. However, he decided Dan didn't need to know any details. "But I eventually understood that that's just the way they are. You can't change it about them," he added with a warning note in his tone.

"No," Dan immediately assured the intimidating officer and fiancé of Prue. "It's just it's like time just stands still for a few seconds and when it starts up again, she's like a total different person," he amended.

"Maybe you should ask her about it," Glen suggested the most common course of action.

"I do, I have. She gives me the run around," Dan returned.

Glen smirked at the thought. "Then don't ask. She'll explain," he insisted with a glance at Andy who nodded slightly in approval though Dan took it as agreement.

Dan sighed, quickly realizing that Glen and Andy were gonna be of no further help. As it was, he couldn't tell if Glen knew what was going on or not but he was dead sure Andy did. He was about to take a shot at interrogating the cop ( a wonderful idea) when Phoebe and Coop ran up to their table.

"Hey guys, are Prue and Piper around?" Phoebe demanded.

"The ladies room," Andy answered, eyeing Dan warily as if he expected more from him.

Dan narrowed his eyes slightly and then noticed Coop. "Hey, have we met? You look familiar."

"Yeah, he was the guy…" Glen stopped abruptly as he realized who he was talking to. "I mean, I've met him. Not sure if you have," he covered hastily.

"I've been around," Coop offered.

"Yeah, okay, come on," Phoebe ordered, dragging Coop along after her.

Dan watched Coop leave and then looked back at Glen and Andy. "Okay, that's another thing. There are strange people that always show up at your place. They pop in, they pop out. Who the hell are they?" Dan inquired, his gaze fixed on Andy.  
"None of the sisters ever struck me as being anti-social and with four of them in the same house plus me, there's bound to be friends around," Andy answered sharply. Behind them, Drazi walked down the entrance stairs and turned toward them.

"Friends, that's all?" Dan repeated unconvinced.

Andy opened his mouth to retort but Glen beat him to it, sensing that Andy was done with questions. "You should see Paige's yearbook sometime," he suggested. "Now, I think we should get another appetizer," he continued as a change of subject.

~PO4~

Prue, Piper, and Paige noticed Phoebe and Coop when they walked out of the bathroom. Phoebe ran up to them with Coop trailing behind. "Hey!" Phoebe greeted.

"Hey, yourself," Prue returned with a smile in greeting to Coop.

"Pheebs, Coop," Paige followed.

"Evening ladies. How's the night?" Coop wondered.

Piper nodded in satisfaction. "Very well," she admitted.

Paige tilted her head to the side. "Yours? Something tells me you aren't hanging around just because you can," she stated.

"We might have bit of a problem," Phoebe explained before glancing at Prue and Piper. "Actually, you two might want to check on your guys. Andy looked a little annoyed and Dan didn't look happy himself," Phoebe added.

Prue frowned uncertainly. "Ooh, okay," she agreed, already starting toward the table.

"Wait, what's the problem?" Paige inquired. Prue and Piper stopped and looked back at Phoebe and Coop.

"Um, Drazi may not have been vanquished as we thought…" Phoebe started. She hastily continued as her sisters' smiles faded at the news. "Maybe, we're not sure."

"Andy said the same thing earlier," Prue admitted.

Piper glanced back at their table where they could just see Glen, Andy, and Dan at the table. "What do we do?" she demanded.

"Look, you go tell your boys you'll be back in a few minutes. Uh, if you can discretely get Andy to come then do that and keep your eyes open. We'll meet you at the car since

Coop and I left Jenny out there," Phoebe ordered, waving her hands for her sisters to move along.

Piper nodded enthusiastically. "Okay," she agreed. Prue, Piper, and Paige ran back to their table.

"And don't dawdle," Phoebe called after them, earning a wave of acknowledgement from Prue.

Coop watched them leave with a thoughtful expression. "Good job," he complimented with a glance at Phoebe. She just rolled her eyes.

~PO4~

Prue, Piper, and Paige took their seats next to their respective guys. Prue inconspicuously reached out for Andy's hand under the table. Dan appeared relieved when Piper returned. "Welcome back. I was starting to get a little worried there," he joked.

Drazi's ring glowed as he approached the table and time slowed all around them. He looked to Dan first. "Dan, Piper still loves Leo. Always has, always will. You are nothing more than geographically desirable. After all, a girl can't get much closer than the stud next door." Drazi smiled to himself in satisfaction and turned to Andy. "Ah, Andy, don't you realize you can't trust Prue? Remember, Bane? The criminal stud? And Jack, a work partner. Come on, remember her secret? Do you know how many she has? You're only convenient to have around to get her out of trouble and she knows it." Drazi turned away and faced Glen. "So Glen, you think you love Paige? She's holding you back…"

~PO4~

Coop stumbled forward with a gasp of pain, barely keeping his feet by leaning heavily against the wall. Phoebe jumped in surprise and raced over to him. "What's the matter?" she demanded. "Is it Drazi?" she questioned.

"He's alive," Coop managed to choke out.

~PO4~

Drazi was now leaning against the table next to Prue after leaving Piper and Paige. "Finally, you, Prue. Andy doesn't want you. He wants a normal family to come home to. No demons. And you can't give him that. He only chose you because magic was forced upon him. The Truth Spell is called the Truth Spell for a reason and he told you himself." Drazi nodded to himself before walking away, a large smile on his face.

Andy had felt the faint tampering with his thoughts and immediately used his negation to neutralize the magic so it wouldn't consume him. Unfortunately, by the time he had done so, time had restarted as normal and Drazi was walking triumphantly away. "Drazi," he whispered in realization. He took Prue's hand and started to pull her from the seat. "Prue, we need to leave," he stated urgently. Prue pulled her hand roughly out of his grasp in response. Andy turned to find her looking partially distraught and partially angry. "Prue?"

Just as soon as her name left his mouth, Dan jumped up from his seat and stared at Piper accusingly. "Why don't you just admit it. You're using me to make Leo jealous, aren't you?" Dan demanded.

Piper looked at him in disgust as she stood from her seat. "Oh, can you just leave him out of this?" she snapped.

"I'd love to. What about you?" Dan retorted. Phoebe looked away from Coop before she ran through the crowd toward her sisters as she saw them fighting.

Glen turned a cold eye on Paige before waving over a waitress. "Can I get another drink?" he called.

Paige glared as Glen's eyes followed the waitress. She reached over and smacked him lightly over the head. "What the hell are you doing?" Paige questioned harshly.

Glen returned the glare. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm a getting another drink," he replied. "Quit over-reacting about everything."

"Over-reacting?! You're flirting with another woman right in front of me," Paige exclaimed.

"Well, she strikes me as less controlling," Glen stated calmly but his voice cold as ice.

Andy's jaw dropped at the reactions around the table and he grabbed Prue before she could walk off. "Prue, Drazi is doing this. He's manipulating your thoughts. Listen to me," he pleaded.

"Listen to you?" Prue repeated in disbelief, her voice a higher pitch. She slammed a fist into Andy's chest, forcing him back a step. "I hate you, Andrew Trudeau," she yelled at him.

Piper paced around a few steps. "I can't believe you're still threatened by him," she screamed.

"You think I'm an idiot? You think I don't know?" Dan countered.

Phoebe cut in between them. "Uh, you guys…" she started.

"Shut up!" the three couples (minus Andy) shouted and Phoebe immediately fell silent.

"Prue," Andy tried again.

"No! Quit pretending you really care," Prue snapped, glaring daggers at Andy. Andy opened his mouth to retort but Prue beat him to it. "You never wanted me. You wouldn't have ever dated me again if you didn't get dragged into everything with me. Go find yourself a mortal and have your mortal family since that's what you really want." Prue spun away from a dumbfounded Andy.

Paige pushed her chair over in her haste to stand up while Glen rested comfortably back in his chair. "If that's how you feel then fine. We're done. It's over. Go on your trip to Australia. See if I care."

"Awesome," Glen allowed.

"We are dating, aren't we?" Dan inquired.

"No, we're not. Not anymore," Piper answered. She reached up to her neck and pulled her necklace off before throwing it in Dan's face. "And you can have that back," she added. She stalked over to Prue and Paige.

Dan shrugged as if it didn't matter. "I'm sure Leo can replace it with something that means more anyway," Dan called after her.

"Probably," Piper agreed without a glance over her shoulder.

Andy moved around in front of Prue in an attempt to stop her. "Damn it, Prue…"

"Get out of my way, Andy!" Prue ordered. "I don't want to see you again," Prue continued.

"Thanks for the evening, Paige," Glen yelled after her, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"You know what, Glen? Bite me," Paige shot back.

With that, the three sisters stalked past Phoebe and their men toward the club entrance. They didn't notice Drazi sneak around to the side nor the crowd of people watching their showdown. Phoebe hurried after them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Phoebe insisted.

"It's Drazi's spell. There's no reasoning with them right now," Coop called her back.

"If he did this, why didn't you sense him in here?" Phoebe demanded, falling into a panic mode.

"I didn't think he'd actually come here," Coop admitted.

Andy glared at Coop. "Well, he did and now my fiancée…"

"I'm not your fiancée," Prue interrupted. She, Piper, and Paige faced Phoebe, Coop, and Andy. "What are you still doing here?" she asked, fixing her icy glare on Coop.

Piper followed her gaze. "You know what? None of this would have happened if you would've just left us alone. Now get out. Get out of my club," Piper ordered. She jabbed a finger toward the front door pointedly.

Coop nodded while holding his hands up in a peaceful manner. Phoebe stared at him in surprise. "Wait, where are you going?" Phoebe questioned.

"Humoring them," Coop answered with a shrug.

Paige appeared offended. "Humoring us? If you don't start moving, I'll humor you right out the door with a boost," she warned.

Phoebe ran up to her sisters and took Paige's hands. "No. No. Listen to me. Remember what I was saying earlier? You guys are under a spell. Drazi's spell. Okay, this is not you. Listen to me," Phoebe pleaded.

Piper fixed her with an emotionless look. "If you're with him, why don't you go too," she suggested.

Phoebe appeared hurt. "What?" she asked in surprise. Prue, Piper, and Paige started to walk away again. "No, you guys," Phoebe tried but they kept going. Phoebe groaned and spun back on Coop and Andy. "How come you're not going crazy?" she wondered with a look at Andy.

"Doesn't matter," Andy replied, his voice carefully controlled as he watched Prue leave. He looked away and caught sight of Drazi at the edge of the crowd. He narrowed his eyes and started stalking toward him.

"Andy!" Phoebe exclaimed, grabbing Andy's arm to stop him.

Drazi took the opportunity to dash toward the back. Andy pulled his arm out of Phoebe's hand. "He's going to pay for this," Andy growled. He gave Phoebe a warning glance before he followed after Drazi.

Phoebe stood dumbfounded for a moment. "Okay, uh, what do we do? Do we have a plan?" Phoebe panicked.

"Maybe. If destroying the loves that I put together is killing me, maybe the reverse is true. Patching everything up with everybody just might kill him," Coop suggested.

Phoebe looked confused. "I thought you needed the ring to do that."

"We're going to have to make do without it. The two of us should be able to fix this," Coop insisted.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'we?' You're the Master of Love," Phoebe countered.

Coop took Phoebe's hand. "Come on, I'll show you what we have to do and we better hurry or Andy may find more than he's bargained for." He pulled Phoebe after him toward the stock room where they could beam out.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"I cannot believe Andy. Who the hell does he think he is?" Prue exclaimed. She, Piper, and Paige had just walked through the front door and threw their stuff on the floor.

"Andy? What about Dan?" Piper retorted, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically. "We're out on a date and he accuses me of being in love with someone else."

"Well, at least he didn't start flirting with someone else right there in front of you and then claim you're controlling," Paige fumed. Piper nodded slightly to her in acknowledgement.

Prue rolled her eyes at the guys' actions. "Totally out of line," she agreed.

The three sisters dropped down on the couch and crossed their arms, still glaring daggers at various parts of the room. "We're better off without them," Piper announced.

"Certainly not worth crying over," Prue added.

Paige was silent but she grunted softly in agreement. "Why are all guys such idiots?" she demanded.

"I don't know but I've never hated someone so much in my entire life," Piper answered shortly.

"Agreed," Paige stated with a sharp nod to herself.

"Me either," Prue admitted.

They all sighed and took deep breaths to control themselves. Piper was the first to break the resulting silence as she calmed down. "Although, I have to admit some of the things Dan said were kind of true. I do think about Leo sometimes," Piper sighed.

"I might have over-reacted a little," Paige mumbled. "I don't know what happened, I mean, he does that kind of thing all the time and it doesn't matter that much."

Piper nodded in agreement. "I know. It's all so weird. One minute we're all perfectly fine and having a great time…"

"And the next we're acting like we hate each other," Prue finished. She frowned slightly in thought. "Well, except Andy. He was just…" she trailed off.

"What?" Piper prompted.

Prue pushed herself to her feet. "Nothing important. I just need to find Andy and tell him something," she admitted. She hurried out of the room toward the front door.

"Why does she want to go see Andy?" Paige asked.

Piper shrugged. "Probably to tell him to move his stuff out," she offered.

Paige looked thoughtful before nodding. "Glen is such an idiot," Paige groaned.

"Yeah, well, Dan's scum," Piper muttered.

Paige moved closer to Piper and hugged her. "You're so much better than him," she whispered.

"You too, Missy Paige. We don't need them," Piper agreed and they giggled softly.

~PO4~

Cindy and Max's Office Building

Coop and Phoebe stopped at the bottom of the stairs and Coop pointed up to where you could see Cindy walking along the second floor. "There she is. We've got to hurry," Coop announced.

"But wait, I'm still not exactly sure what the plan is," Phoebe admitted nervously.

"You just need to talk to her like I talked to you," Coop explained.

Phoebe didn't appear reassured. "How did you talk to me?" she demanded.

"She's afraid of losing the people she loves too. Just talk to her," Coop answered with a shrug.

Phoebe frowned at the idea and spun on Coop. "Why can't you just talk to her then?" she asked. Coop smiled a little and Phoebe's eyes lit with realization. She crossed her arms with a huff. "How is this supposed to help me?"

Coop didn't immediately answer as he watched Cindy get closer. "You'll see," he replied. "I promised I'd help you, Phoebe. Just trust me," Coop insisted. "Now here she comes…"

Coop stepped out in front of Cindy. "Cindy, hi," he greeted.

Cindy paused at the bottom of the stairs and look at Coop, Jenny, and Phoebe warily. "Do I know you?" she asked.

"Not personally but I heard about Max. How is he?" Coop questioned.

Cindy looked uncomfortable at the mention of Max's name. "I don't know. Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. I'm not even sure how it happened but I'm sorry," Cindy apologized before walking quickly toward the exit.

Coop nudged Phoebe pointedly and she stepped after Cindy. "Uh, Cindy, Cindy. Look, sooner or later Max's pain will go away but yours won't," she blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Cindy prompted in confusion as she turned to reluctantly face Phoebe.

"I mean, it hasn't yet, has it? The pain of love loss deepens if you don't deal with it." Cindy rolled her eyes and started to walk away until Phoebe ran and caught up to her. "Look, I know, I know what it's like believe me. I closed myself off to love too because I was afraid. But you know what? Fear and love cannot live in the same house," Phoebe began. She glanced at Coop to find him nodding encouragement so she continued. "It's because the people that we love eventually leave us so we've given up on love."

Cindy shook her head. "You mean love has given up on me," she corrected.

"No, it hasn't," Phoebe promised with a soft smile at Cindy. "It can't. Your fear of loss has left you paralyzed. Believe me, I know. But you can change that. You can take the risk and love again," she insisted. "I mean, hey, they don't call it lover's leap for nothing, right?" Phoebe joked.

Cindy frowned and looked confused. "What?" Cindy questioned.

Coop couldn't contain a soft laugh that caused Phoebe to look at him. "Lover's leap is a reference to suicide," Coop explained.

Phoebe's eyes widened and she hastily jumped to correct herself. "Oh, let me rephrase that. Go to Max. Push through whatever hate or fear or doubt you think might exist between both of you. Just tell him what's in your heart," Phoebe suggested.

"I love him," Cindy admitted.

"Then tell him that. Now. Before it's too late," Phoebe insisted.

Cindy's eyes flickered to Phoebe and then to Coop. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Messengers," Phoebe answered after exchanging a quick look with Coop.

"Thank you," Cindy appreciated. She smiled gratefully at them before leaving.

Coop watched her leave before elbowing Phoebe lightly in the side. "Not bad… actually, you were very good," he complimented.

"I was good, wasn't I?" Phoebe laughed.

Coop nodded to her. "It was impressive really."

"So how exactly did that help me?" Phoebe questioned.

"I think you know but for the sake of answering, in order to let love in, you have to overcome the obstacles within yourself," Coop replied.

"You know, we have to go reconnect Prue, Piper, and Paige's love connections before it's too late," Phoebe pointed out after a moment of thoughtful silence.

"You know, the more couples we put back together, the more Drazi's gonna come looking for me," Coop stated.

Phoebe tilted her head to the side. "I thought that was the plan," she admitted, a little confused.

"It is. I just thought I'd reiterate it," Coop answered with a shrug. "Let's go," he decided, beaming them out once they turned a corner.

~PO4~

Dan's House

Jenny lounged on the couch to wait for her Uncle Dan to make it home after Phoebe and Coop dropped her off. She was on her feet the instant she heard the front door open.

"Uncle Dan! How was your date?" Jenny asked innocently.

"Jenny, shouldn't you be in bed?" Dan returned without answering her question. He threw his jacket onto the kitchen island as he passed by and didn't cast a glance at his niece.

"It's nine thirty," Jenny pointed out.

"Homework?" Dan pressed.

Jenny pointed at her books that were on the table. "Done," she insisted although in truth she still had some to do. Dan didn't reply and stalked past Jenny toward the stairs. "It can't have been that bad, right?" she called after him.  
Dan paused and finally looked over at her. "We're not dating anymore," he replied simply.

Jenny feigned a look of surprise. "Why?" she demanded.

"Didn't work out," Dan muttered, not particularly keen in explaining himself to his teenage niece. He started up the stairs again.

"Maybe you should talk to her," Jenny suggested, stopping him for the second time. "I really like Piper and Phoebe and Prue and Paige," Jenny rambled.

Dan frowned at her words. "Stay away from them, Jenny," he ordered.

"What? Why?" she questioned, legitimately surprised by the seriousness in her uncle's voice.

"Because your parents put me in charge and that's what I said," Dan answered. He didn't wait for her to argue but disappeared up the steps (and successfully made it this time).

Jenny rolled her eyes and dropped into a stool at the kitchen bar and grabbed up the phone. She dialed the number and put the phone to her ear. "Phoebe? It's Jenny. It didn't work so we're going to have to try plan B. I think he's more likely to answer his pager," Jenny explained into the phone.

~PO4~

The Hospital

A doctor was wheeling Max down the hallway in a wheelchair when Cindy stepped out in front of him with a bunch of flowers in her arms. "They didn't have any roses," she repeated his earlier line. She gave him a hopeful smile.

Max looked surprised at first but he grinned after another moment. "Cindy," he greeted, taking the flowers.

"I am so sorry for whatever happened today. I don't know what came over me," Cindy apologized.

Max took her hand. "It's okay, it doesn't matter. I didn't mean it either. None of it," he assured her.

"Really?" Cindy whispered.

"Really," Max promised.

~PO4~

The Street

Drazi approached a couple that were standing next to each other and talking. He had just approached them when he doubled over in pain. The couple didn't seem to notice and they were walking off down the street. "Cupid, do you think you can undo what I've done? You're dead!" Drazi yelled to the now empty street.

Andy stepped out of an alley and grabbed Drazi by the front of his shirt. He slammed him up against the wall. "What did you say to her?" Andy demanded.

"Who?" Drazi questioned with a knowing look. He attempted to pry Andy's hands open but it only caused Andy to grip his shirt tighter.

Andy slammed him into the wall again. "You know who. My fiancée," he growled. When he didn't receive an answer, Andy snatched the ring from Drazi. "You think it's funny to break people apart?" Andy let Drazi go and Drazi dropped to his knees though he was obviously inwardly fuming. "Show your face again and I swear I'll personally see that you're vanquished," he warned and then orbed out.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Piper and Paige exchanged a glance when the doorbell rang and they scrambled to their feet. Piper opened the door while Paige hung back a step. They were both surprised when Glen and Dan walked in without even asking permission.

"I hope you called us here to apologize because if not I'm just going to walk right back out that door," Glen stated.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Paige demanded, glaring at Glen.

Piper ignored Dan pointedly and faced Glen. "Are we supposed to know what you're talking about?" she asked in a cold voice.

Dan rolled his eyes as he passed by. "Don't buy the innocent act. She pulls it all the time," he explained to Glen.

Piper opened her mouth to retort but Paige took a threatening step toward Dan. "Don't talk about my sister like that," Paige warned.

"Just tell us what you wanted, Paige, so we can get on with our lives," Glen snapped.

Piper placed her hands on her hips. "I repeat, what are you talking about?" Piper returned

"Why- Did- You- Call?" Glen questioned as if he was talking to a child.

"Have I ever told you that you talk like an idiot?" Paige wondered icily.

Glen laughed humorlessly. "At least I never stopped you from doing what you really wanted with your life," Glen retorted.

"Don't, Paige, he's not worth it," Piper soothed her irritated younger sister. She fixed a cold look at the two guys. "We didn't call you so get out," she ordered.

Dan pulled out his pager. "Isn't this your number? 'Come to my house a.s.a.p?'" he read the message with a pointed glance at Piper.

Piper rolled her eyes. "That's really pathetic, paging yourself," she taunted.

"Pathetic?" Dan repeated in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, I meant moronic," Piper amended.

Paige high-fived Piper. "You guys wish we called," Paige laughed.

"What is going on?" Piper exclaimed, obviously tired of the game that the guys were playing.

"Hate and it's gotta stop," Phoebe announced, causing Piper, Paige, Dan, and Glen to turn their glares on the Phoebe, Jenny, and Coop. "I asked Jenny to call Dan and Glen to come over here," she admitted.

Paige's glare was fixed on Coop. "What is he still doing here?" she demanded.

"I'm pretty sure I made it clear to leave us alone," Piper added.

"I'm trying to help you," Coop answered.

Dan narrowed his eyes at his niece. "Jenny, go home. I'll be there in a minute," Dan ordered.

"But Uncle…" Jenny started.

"No, I mean it," Dan interrupted.

Jenny huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine, but if you care about Piper at all, you'll listen to Phoebe," she snapped before spinning around and stalking out of the Manor.

"Where's Prue? I couldn't get in touch with Andy," Phoebe changed the subject after watching Jenny walk away.

Piper shrugged, unconcerned. "She went to talk to him or something," Piper explained.

"Don't know why she even bothered," Paige muttered.

Phoebe sighed loudly. "Alright, we'll worry about them later. I want all of you on the couch now," Phoebe ordered.

"Please," Coop cut in politely.

Phoebe glared at Piper and Paige. "I mean it. Come on," she insisted. Reluctantly, Piper and Paige walked to the couch and Dan and Glen followed.

~PO4~

The Street  
Drazi reached a fork in the street and he leaned over to catch his breath in between gasps of pain. He narrowed his eyes at the signs and followed the one labeled Prescott Street.

~PO4~

The Park

Andy took one look at the large Victorian manor and continued past as he wasn't particularly sure it had been long enough to try and repair the damage and he didn't want to accidently make it any worse. Thus, he slipped the Cupid ring into his pocket and followed the sidewalk to the next best place to be. The swing, their swing, was just as it always was. That was one of the best things about it. It seemed no one else even knew it existed deep inside the park. He paused when he got close enough to actually see it clearly. He smiled faintly at the sight before slowly approaching. Prue was already there, laying down on the swing. Andy couldn't tell from this distance if she was passing the time or if she had actually fallen asleep. "Prue?" Andy called softly so as not to startle her. He even gave her a light shake in case she really was asleep.

Prue shifted positions a little so that she was looking up at Andy. Her eyes were clear which showed she had not been asleep. "What took you so long? I thought for sure you'd be here before me," she stated with a questioning look at him.

"I didn't know you were waiting for me," Andy admitted. He slipped his jacket off and passed it to Prue as he noticed she was still wearing the dress from the club and there was a chill in the air. "Besides, you didn't sound like you wanted to see me," Andy added with a hint of bitterness in his tone. He reminded himself that it was Drazi that had caused this and not Prue. He sighed audibly and moved Prue just enough for him to sit down at the edge of the swing.

Prue didn't immediately reply but played uncertainly with her necklace. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She never had been one good at apologies and she didn't even really know what happened between them. "I don't know why I started thinking…"

"Drazi," Andy answered for her.

"That sounds a bit like an excuse to me," Prue returned with a sad smile. "Drazi had to fuel those thoughts from somewhere which means I gave them to him and he took full advantage," she continued.

Andy nodded in agreement to her observation. "It's still not your fault though. If you had known he was trying that on you then you wouldn't have been consumed by those thoughts," Andy insisted.

"Maybe," Prue allowed. "But they're still there and I'm sorry because it's not fair to you," she apologized.

"Alright, then let's deal with them," Andy decided. He noticed Prue looking a little wary at his decision and offered her a smile. "We need to work this out so it doesn't happen again," he pointed out, earning a nervous nod from Prue. "I'll start…" He fell silent a moment as he picked out the best thing to say. "Can I trust you?" Andy asked seriously.

Prue appeared a little confused by the question. "Why wouldn't you be able to?" she asked, sounding a little hurt.

"I don't know if you'd be completely honest with me and every time I turn around, there's some other man practically all over you. There was that Barker guy, and Jack, and Bane…" Andy started. He saw Prue about to reply but continued first. "And I'm not talking just about you going off with someone else. I don't think you'd tell me if someone hurt you either."

She mulled over his concerns for several moments before replying. "Can I tell you why you shouldn't be worried about other guys?" Prue inquired. Andy nodded for her to go ahead. "Because you've always been here for me, even when we haven't been on the best of terms… You proved me innocent when Rex framed me for theft and murder. You covered for me, quit your job for me, saved me on countless occasions and I don't see anyone else doing that. Do you think that idiot Barker would have cared if I was arrested? Or can you imagine Jack protecting me from demons or quitting his job to help me? And Bane… I probably would have been lucky if he had given me over to Barbas. In the future, one of our daughters was named after you… or at least her nickname was. I still went by the name Trudeau. I still wore my engagement and wedding rings and you disappeared six years previous protecting me. I mean, that doesn't really guarantee anything but I would be an idiot and disrespectful and so many other things if I ignored all that in favor of someone else," Prue finished.

"I hope I was dead in that future," Andy announced suddenly, earning a really confused look from Prue. "What? I sure hope I wasn't out carousing with the boys for six years when I had you and two beautiful little girls," he explained.

Prue crossed her arms with a huff. "Andy, that was a good and heartfelt speech and that's the only thing you got out of it?" she grumbled.

"Can we keep our little girl's name as Andie even if I'm not dead?" Andy asked with a teasing look as he waited for Prue's expected reaction.

"Andy!" Prue groaned. She dropped her head into her hands for a moment before looking up and glaring playfully in Andy's direction. Andy just chuckled at her. "First, Mister, we have to have Bree because she was the older daughter and before that we have to get married and we're running low on time since she was like nine and at this rate we're never going to get married because we have issues and can't seem to keep a serious conversation going," she scolded.

"Sorry," Andy apologized and then smirked a little. "Your speech was just so good that all my doubts have been cleared," he joked. He caught Prue's eye and immediately turned the conversation back to the serious topic. "Okay, I just want to know that you'll tell me if something's wrong. Whatever it is, Prue. I know you've never been one to admit anything but you do actually need to every now and then," Andy insisted.

Prue nodded in silent agreement. "Okay, I'll try," she promised.

Andy smiled and kissed her cheek lightly. "Your turn," he prompted.

"I feel like I'm seeing a shrink," she sighed but nodded again. Prue opened her mouth to start but closed it again before actually saying anything. She returned to playing with her necklace and a silence fell over them. "I just told you why I love you but it hurts because what I can give you isn't what you wanted. You didn't want magic to come home to. You said it to me twice. You turned me down twice. The only reason that changed was because you found out you were magical too. It wasn't how you felt about me…" Prue trailed off, turning her gaze to her hands.

"That's where the 'go find yourself a mortal and have your mortal family' came from," Andy realized with a sigh. Prue didn't reply or even look over at him until he reached out and took her hands. "Prue, look at me," he ordered gently. Prue reluctantly did as she was told. "I didn't make the choice to propose to you lightly. Sure, this isn't what I had planned, but how can you plan for something that you never dreamed existed? Do you remember what you said to me that day in the attic when we were looking for a way to vanquish the ghost from Alcatraz? You said, that there was a reason you had been drawn into this world and that there was probably a very good reason it was opened up to me too. And I'm  
pretty sure I know what that reason is now…" He trailed off for a moment to push a strand of Prue's hair away from her face. "You're right that how I felt about you didn't change because I never stopped loving you to begin with. I was stupid to think that magic would make a difference between us and I'm sorry because it doesn't and it only did before because I didn't give you a chance. I love you and I don't want anybody else, mortal or no,"

"I love you too, Andy," Prue whispered.

Andy smiled and used his thumb to wipe away a few tears around Prue's eyes. "You know, we won't even have to say any vows at our wedding. I think we just did," Andy laughed.

"Well, I hope you weren't planning on saying all that in front of Father Austin. You know, magic and vanquishing the ghost of Alcatraz and being drawn into another world," Prue quoted.

"Oh, come on, you were going off about going to the future and our future kids and demons framing you or trying to kill you," Andy pointed out.

Prue shook with soft laughter. "He'd think we were insane. The poor guy," she managed to get out.

"Like I said, no need for vows at the wedding because that is what I wanted to say. Any censoring for non-magical people and it wouldn't be the truth," Andy stated. He stood up and held his hand out for Prue to take. "Let's go see what we can do about your sisters and I really need to get Coop's ring back to him," he suggested.

Prue tilted her head to the side. "Coop's ring? How did you get Coop's ring?" she demanded.

"Funny story actually," Andy mumbled.

"Uh huh, I bet," Prue agreed sarcastically.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

"Phoebe, I don't understand," Piper sighed impatiently. She had her arms crossed and seemed to be refusing to sit on the couch.

"Okay, well, be quiet and you will," Phoebe retorted while jabbing a finger at the couch in a silent order to sit. "Sit," she repeated her order when Piper didn't make any move to actually heed it.

Piper rolled her eyes and sat down next to Paige in the middle of the couch. Dan reluctantly sat next to her and Glen was already seated next to Paige.

Dan glanced over at Coop, who was leaning against the wall next to Phoebe. "You in a hurry or something?" Dan asked.

"A bit of one," Coop admitted.

"But we're going to meet his deadline," Phoebe decided. "Now, you four are all acting like you are under some kind of spell," she started.

Piper shot Phoebe a warning look while Paige's eyes flickered over at Dan to see if he picked up on the subtle statement. "Phoebe," both Piper and Paige scolded.

Phoebe rolled her eyes dramatically. "Would you stop thinking and just feel?" she returned which effectively shut Piper and Paige up. "Look, I know that some ugly things were said tonight but you can get past that," Phoebe insisted.

"Maybe we don't want to get past this," Paige argued stubbornly.

Phoebe turned her gaze on her younger sister. "I know you want to, Paige, and you know it too," Phoebe countered. Paige sighed and lowered her gaze to her hands.

"You've known Glen for a long time. Do you really just want to throw everything you two have away?" Coop asked.

"No," Paige admitted after a tense moment.

"You two have been best friends for years and have had an on and off relationship since middle school. Look at him again and remember all those experiences you've shared. Remember how despite everything, you two have retained a strong friendship if nothing else," Coop continued.

Paige hesitated before looking up and meeting Glen's gaze. She smiled a little before looking away again. Glen reached over and took her hand. "Sorry, Noogie, I didn't mean it," he apologized.

~PO4~

Prescott Street

The Manor was in sight when Drazi suddenly clutched at his chest again and fell to his knees. He grunted as he forced himself into a standing position and walked toward the house.

~PO4~

The Halliwell Manor

Phoebe seemed encouraged by Paige and Glen's positive response so she turned to Piper. "And Piper, I watch you when you talk to Dan and I see light and warmth and hope and I know you feel that way. You still feel that way." She then glanced at Dan. "And Dan, you don't need someone whispering in your ear telling you not to trust Piper. Trust yourself," Phoebe advised.

Dan nodded and faced Piper. "I'm not saying you have to tell me everything but when you deliberately keep secrets from me I…"

"It's not because I want to. I told you it has nothing to do with you," Piper interrupted apologetically.

"But does it have anything to do with Leo?" Dan questioned.

"No, it has to do with you and me and what I would like us to become," Piper assured him.

Coop leaned toward Phoebe. "It's working. We need to move this along before he gets here," he whispered.

"Where is he?" Phoebe asked.

"Really close," Coop answered.

Phoebe's eyes widened a little and she looked back at her sisters and their boyfriends. "Okay, okay, okay, here's the plan. Glen, Dan, you go down to the corner market and get whatever you want. If the food of love is Cheetos and soda then play on. Um, can you pick up a couple of frozen pizzas?" Phoebe invented hastily.

Dan narrowed his eyes at the sudden change in behavior. "Why?" he wondered curiously.

"It means they want to talk," Glen explained. He winked at the sisters knowingly. He wasn't particularly keen in facing a demon either.

Phoebe nodded approvingly. "Yes, that's very good, Glen. Very good, you're quick," Phoebe complimented as she ushered Glen and Dan toward the door.

"I'll drive," Dan offered.

"Yeah, okay, take your time. Bye bye," Phoebe called after them and then shut the door.

Paige waited until the door was shut to say anything. "Okay, so, what's the rush?" she asked.

Phoebe hurried over to Piper and Paige and took a seat next to them. "Okay, think, you guys. Do you remember Drazi? Well, he's still alive and if Coop is right, he's on his way here as we speak. Whatever bad feelings you had for Dan and Glen, Drazi did it. He's twisted your relationship with hate," Phoebe explained hastily.

"So what do we do now?" Piper questioned.

"Exactly what you're doing now. You let Dan and Glen into your hearts while I try and find our missing sister and future brother-in-law. We need to fix them quick," Phoebe answered. She stood up again and started for the phone.

Coop caught her arm as she walked by. "No need to worry about them," he assured her.

"Why?" Phoebe inquired in confusion.

"They've fixed themselves. I'm feeling great," Coop stated cheerfully.

"How did they fix themselves when Piper and I wanted to strangle our guys the moment they walked through the door?" Paige wondered.

Coop smiled and shrugged slightly. "You'll find that hate can't truly break love. It can only twist and blur it. It seems Prue and Andy found their way through," he replied.

"Well, that's great and all but we still need…" Piper started but she was cut off abruptly by the sound of crashing glassware from the kitchen.

Piper and Paige were on their feet and next to Phoebe in seconds while Coop narrowed his eyes in the direction of the crash. "Drazi," Paige guessed.

Phoebe was the first to start forward. "Coop, stay out here. We don't want him getting too close to you," she ordered. She, Piper, and Paige ran into the kitchen and froze by what they saw. What had once been the leftover Drazi vanquishing potion had been dropped in the sink where the faucet was turned on, washing it down the drain.

"Oh, this is bad," Piper whispered.

"Forget that, where'd he go?" Paige snapped. As soon as she said it, she yelped in surprise as someone shoved her to the side. She fell into Piper, who fell over with her in her surprise.

Phoebe followed a second later, landing heavily on the ground next to her two sisters. "Coop, look out!" Phoebe yelled a warning.

"Where is he?" Piper demanded. Phoebe, Piper, and Paige scrambled back to their feet but not before another crash sounded, this time from the conservatory.

"Oh! Oh!" Paige exclaimed, pointing frantically in the general direction.

~PO4~

Drazi let his intangibility drop as he turned the corner into the conservatory. "Hello, lover boy," he greeted sardonically. His hand slid into Coop's chest and clutched at the cupid's heart. Coop was forced back into a table, effectively knocking off a vase and several picture frames that shattered at their feet. "I should have finished you off the first time," Drazi growled, tightening his grip so that Coop grunted in pain.

No one noticed the front door open until Prue took in the scene before her. "Hey!" she screamed. She raised her hand in preparation to telekinetically send him flying.

"Twitch your hand and he's dead," Drazi warned. Prue hesitated and Drazi smiled in satisfaction. His gaze shifted over to Andy right behind her and then back to her. "You're next, witch," he added, spitting 'witch' out like it was a curse. There was a mix of green and red light and both Drazi and Coop disappeared.

Phoebe led Piper and Paige around the corner. "Coop!" she yelled. Her eyes scoured the room she had left him in only for the cupid to be absent.

~PO4~

The four sisters plus Andy were up in the attic, surrounding the Book of Shadows. Phoebe was frantically flipping from the Drazi page and any information on Cupids to a way to call their lost cupid. The latter came up empty. Prue, Piper, Paige, and Andy stood out of her way, tossing up ideas that were quickly shot down for one flaw or another.

"You guys, we have to find something quick," Phoebe insisted for probably the umpteenth time.

"Losing our cupid sure doesn't bode well for our love lives," Paige agreed.

Prue sighed as she watched her two younger sisters flip through the book. "Well, what do you propose we do? The only way we know to make Drazi show up is to fix our relationships and put Max and Cindy's back together and we've already done that. There's nothing for us to fix," Prue pointed out.

"In other words, we need something that's strong enough to catch Drazi's attention. And it must be stronger than just repairing…" Piper guessed.

Andy pulled Coop's ring out of his pocket. "Maybe you could try scrying with this or something," Andy suggested. He obviously didn't really expect it to work and neither did the sisters but Prue agreed anyways.

"I'll do it," Prue offered. She took the ring over to the map and the scrying crystal.

"I know this is going to sound a little dark, but we're assuming Coop's not already dead," Paige remarked.

Phoebe glared in Paige's direction. "He's not dead until I see proof and even if he was we still have to vanquish Drazi. You heard what he said, 'you're next, witch' and I for one don't particularly want to lose Prue to him either," Phoebe snapped.

Andy looked thoughtful before turning to face Prue, who was busy letting the crystal circle the map. He walked over to her and leaned against the table she was at. "Prue, marry me," he suggested hopefully.

Prue's eyes flickered up to meet his. "I already agreed to that, you know, several months ago," she replied in confusion.

"No, right now," Andy clarified.

Piper and Paige appeared surprised and they looked over at the couple. Even Phoebe took her eyes off the Book of Shadows.

Prue seemed just as surprised as her sisters. "Now?" she repeated and Andy nodded. "Like, right now- now? Almost midnight now?" Andy nodded again. "Seriously?" Prue asked disbelieving.

"Yes," Andy insisted.

Prue opened her mouth to reply when Phoebe suddenly let out a gasp of realization. "Andy, that's brilliant!" Phoebe exclaimed. Andy glanced behind him at Phoebe uncertainly as did Piper, Paige, and Prue. "Don't you see? That's bound to get Drazi's attention," she explained.

"I wasn't exactly planning on inviting the demon when I suggested it," Andy admitted but it went unnoticed by Phoebe.

Paige thought the idea over. "Okay, even if that did work, we have no way of vanquishing Drazi without the potion," she argued.

"True, but it might be enough to save Coop and once we have Coop back, he can sense Drazi you know, tomorrow or something after we buy some more ingredients and make a new batch of it," Phoebe decided.

"That could work," Piper agreed.

Prue suddenly stood up from her seat. "Uh, guys, hold on here. We can't do this. I mean, even if I did think this was a good time for a wedding it isn't. We don't have the wedding certificates, the guests, a priest to do the ceremony…" she started. Phoebe began to interrupt but Prue continued before she could. "… and no, if some demon is going to show up, Father Austin cannot do the ceremony," Prue insisted.

"Oh come on, we can get the certificates from Los Angeles or something. We have two people that can orb there and what guests? I mean, Andy's parents, sure but you said this morning that they were sure you two had eloped anyways and we don't have any friends thanks to our magic. Darryl's probably the only one and Andy can go wake him up if you so desire. The rest is us and we're here. You don't need anybody else. Plus we have the wedding dress already so that's not a problem," Phoebe countered.

"She's got a point there," Andy offered.

"There's still the priest," Piper pointed out casually. Paige grinned and raised her hand. "I got one. We can talk to Brendan. The ex-warlock. He won't be too surprised by a demon," she suggested enthusiastically.

"That's perfect!" Phoebe exclaimed.

Prue shook her head hastily. "There's still my hair and make-up and my dress will take me like two hours at least to get into…"

"Prue, we can make it work. If you want to," Piper assured her in such a way that it was purely Prue's decision whether they went through with it or not. "If you don't want to, it's fine. We can find another way to get Coop back," she added. Piper glared at Phoebe, who had opened her mouth to argue and Phoebe reluctantly stayed silent.

"We could even do a formal ceremony or maybe a vow renewal later for any guests to come if you want," Paige threw in, earning a glare from Piper as well. "What? It was worth mentioning."

Prue hesitated and glanced over at Andy as if asking his opinion. "Whatever you want to do is fine with me. You're the most important thing at the wedding so as long as you're there, I'm happy. I'll love you no matter what time it is," Andy answered, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head.

Several more moments passed in silence as Prue thought everything through. "Alright… let's do this, I guess," she agreed.

"You sure?" Andy pressed.

"Yeah, I mean, we sorted everything out earlier, the rest is formalities and… we never could plan anything anyways," Prue laughed.

"Well, we just never follow them," Andy countered lightly.

"So we'll add another event to list," Prue allowed, shrugging unconcernedly.

Phoebe let out an excited squeal. "Okay, Paige, go warn Brendan and get him ready, Prue, go get that dress on, Piper will go with you, Andy, we're gonna go get the wedding certificates. I'll pretend to be you, Prue. I know all your information and everything. Let's go, go, go!" Phoebe ordered. Paige orbed out immediately. Prue and Piper hurried down the stairs while Andy waited until Prue had left before orbing him and Phoebe out.

~PO4~

The Church

Prue was pacing around the foyer of the church with her sisters gathered around. Her wedding dress just barely touched the floor of the Old Catholic church and she alternated from picking at her cuticles to picking absently at the embroidery on her dress. Piper took it upon herself to slap Prue's hand every time the nervous habit decided to present itself.

Phoebe was following Prue and kept scolding her for the constant movement while Paige waited by the door that led to the ceremonial room where the wedding was to take place. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige wore identical dresses of a deep royal blue color, strapless and angled just past the knees.

"Okay, okay, and we have everything right?" Prue demanded.

Phoebe rolled her eyes but appeared amused at Prue's nervousness. "Yes, everything is ready. I mean, we even got your hair and make-up done and you look gorgeous," Phoebe promised.

Prue didn't appear to relax any but this time moved her hand to twirl a curl of her hair that was next to her face. "I don't know, you guys, maybe we should try something else," Prue fretted.

"No, the curls look great," Piper insisted in a soothing manner.

Prue found a mirror and looked herself over again. The back of her hair was left down and loosely curled while the majority of the front was curled tighter and pulled back. Some ringlets were left to frame her face, mostly because they were too stubborn to stay back with the rest of her hair but Prue decided that she liked them that way better. She relaxed a little before a horrible thought ran through her mind. She spun back around to Piper. "And Andy's out there right?" she questioned.

Paige couldn't contain a laugh at the question. "Prue, honey, you need to calm down," she soothed. Prue just glared at her and started for the door to see for herself.

"No, no, no!" Phoebe yelled, intercepting Prue's direction. "Andy cannot see you until the ceremony starts or its bad luck," she reminded.

"And we have enough bad luck," Piper added.

Prue tried to side-step Phoebe to no avail. "Oh come on, I have to make sure he's there," she pleaded.

"I'm staring right at him. He's not going anywhere. In fact, he should be the one worried that you'll freak out and not show up," Paige laughed. She smiled at Prue's expression to her elder sister's expense. "I'm kinda glad we did it this way. Can you imagine having planned right up to this point? You would be up the wall by now," she joked.

"It's not funny," Prue whined.

Phoebe stepped forward next to Prue and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Anyways, who's walking you down the aisle? Ms. Maid of Honor?" Phoebe asked as a change of subject with a pointed look in Piper's direction.

"If you promise not to make me trip, all three of you can walk me down the aisle," Prue allowed.

"Yes!" both Paige and Phoebe exclaimed. Phoebe even ran over to Paige and the two high-fived until Paige glanced out at Andy and Brendan. "Oh, I think they're ready for us," Paige announced.

Prue smiled a little but then frowned. "I don't know about this… I mean, what if the demon…?"

"Stop worrying. We have everything planned out," Piper interrupted as she linked her arm through Prue's right one. Phoebe nodded in agreement and took Prue's left while Paige linked through Phoebe's other arm.

Prue took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, I'm ready," she agreed, sounding exactly that.

The four sisters walked into the ceremonial room with Prue setting the pace. At the far end of the room Brendan stood in his dress robes. As Prue and her sisters came in, he leaned toward Andy and said something that had Andy nodding. 

Andy somehow looked immaculate in his suit despite it being past midnight. Prue vaguely wondered how he managed it completely by himself. When they reached the front, Andy offered his hand to Prue, who took it to stand across from him while her sisters shuffled to the side.

"Morning, ladies," Brendan greeted to the sisters before looking at Prue. "Prue."

"Hey, sorry about the hour," Prue apologized.

Brendan shrugged unconcernedly. "I am honored to perform your wedding, no matter the time," he assured her. "Or the guest," he added with a wink at Prue, obviously referencing Drazi. "On to the ceremony?" Brendan suggested.

"Uh, wait," Prue interrupted and glanced at Andy. "We're doing the 'I do' thing, right 'cause I'm probably going to cry and I want to actually be able to say the words…"

Andy chuckled and nodded. "Yes, I told him," he promised. "You look beautiful by the way," he complimented.

Prue opened her mouth to reply but Phoebe beat her to it. "You guys are killing me with cuteness over here but can we get the actual ceremony started?" Phoebe called in a joking manner.

"Phoebe!" Piper scolded.

"What? We all know that the kiss is pretty much the only thing worth watching. Let's get to it," Phoebe insisted.

"Maybe they would if you'd shut up," Paige pointed out casually.

"You can start, Brendan," Andy allowed, a smirk playing on both his and Prue's faces at her sisters' conversation.

Brendan smiled and began the ceremony. "Ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take. Commitment may well be a fearful gamble. Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, such that as we come together in marriage, we become a new person," Brendan began before turning to Andy. "Do you, Andrew James Trudeau, take Prudence Halliwell to be your wife, to have and hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to  
love and to cherish from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do," Andy answered.

Brendan nodded and turned to Prue. "Do you, Prudence Victoria Halliwell, take Andrew Trudeau to be your husband, to have and hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish from this day forward until death do you part?"

Prue's smile was a little watery as she locked eyes with Andy but her voice was steady. "I do."

Brendan reached behind him where the pulpit stood and took the two rings off. He passed Prue's to Andy and Andy's to Prue. Andy fingered the white-gold band for a moment.

"With this ring, I thee wed," he recited, taking Prue's hand and sliding it on next to her engagement ring.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Prue echoed.

The door to the ceremonial room slammed open so that Piper, Phoebe, and Paige spun around in surprise. Prue and Andy turned to see Drazi leaning in the doorway.

"You couldn't leave well enough alone," Drazi growled, advancing quickly toward Prue and Andy. He only made it halfway before Piper flicked her wrists and he froze mid-step.

"The guest?" Brendan guessed, eyeing the demon with a thoughtful expression.

"Yeah, just ignore him," Prue allowed.

Brendan laughed and glanced between Prue and Andy. "I now pronounce you husband and wife… You may kiss your bride," he announced, taking a step back.

Andy grinned and wrapped an arm around Prue's waist, pulling her tight against him and kissing her hard.

"Finally!" Paige exclaimed. She dabbed lightly at her eyes with a tissue and leaned against an equally excited Phoebe.

Piper subtly flicked her wrists so that Drazi unfroze. The demon of hate collapsed, clutching at his chest. "No!" he yelled, forcing a step toward the kissing couple.

Prue and Andy pulled apart but neither cast anyone around them a glance. They kissed again, softer this time. Drazi tried to take another step but found himself melting. His hatefilled eyes settled on Prue and Andy but then he was gone with nothing to suggest he had ever been there.

"How'd you know he'd be vanquished?" Phoebe asked in a whisper. Her surprised eyes were fixed on the spot where Drazi had been.

Piper just shrugged. "I had a hunch," she admitted, smiling as she watched Prue and Andy pull away again.

Brendan seemed unfazed by the demon vanquishment and stepped forward again. "Ladies, I present to you, for the first time, Andrew and Prudence Trudeau," he finished. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige ran forward and practically tackled Andy and Prue in a hug. Conversation ceased for a second time as the door to the room opened again.

"Coop," Phoebe greeted in relief at seeing he was unharmed.

Coop, however, wasn't the only one at the door. Behind him stood both of Andy's parents and to the sisters' surprise and glee, a fully corporeal Patty and Grams. Patty was the first to break from the group and approach her girls. Prue broke from her group and met Patty in the middle. "Mom," Prue whispered, tears falling freely from her eyes now. Patty silently pulled her eldest daughter into her arms while Piper, Phoebe, and Paige joined Grams. Andy stayed next to Brendan but adopted a sheepish expression when Robert and Linda Trudeau stopped in front of him. "Andrew Trudeau, I cannot believe my only son did not want me to see his wedding," Linda scolded.

Andy looked exceedingly guilty. He glanced hopefully toward the sisters but Prue was still wrapped up in her conversation with Patty and Piper, Phoebe, and Paige didn't appear as if they were going to help him. Grams was just staring at him in the way that always made him feel as if he was seven years old again. "It was an emergency, Mom, and they made me do it," Andy insisted in a childish voice while pointing toward Piper, Phoebe, and Paige.

"Don't point fingers, it's rude," Linda returned and Andy obediently complied. Andy just offered her an innocent smile and Linda's stern visage fell. She pulled her son into a hug until Robert saved him.

"Linda, you're going to choke him," Robert teased.

Grams fixed her gaze on her three granddaughters, waiting her turn to talk with the fourth. "I always thought Piper would be the first to get married, but I will admit, Prue always managed to surprise me," Grams admitted distantly.

"Yeah, when you opened the door to find both Prue and Andy in her room," Phoebe joked. Grams and Piper shot her a warning glance but Paige couldn't hold back a giggle at the truth in the words.

"I heard that," Prue grumbled. Prue pulled away from Patty so that she could hug Grams. "Hey, Grams."

"Prudence, congratulations, that is a really nice ring," Grams offered.

Patty rolled her eyes at the typical comment from her mother. "Mother!" she scolded.

"And Andy's not half bad either for a man," Grams amended. "I still think a dog is a better choice," she added under breath.

"How did you…?" Paige started.

"We're always around, Paige," Patty answered the silent question as she hugged her youngest daughter. "Although, your cupid helped a little in getting us down here." The six women glanced over at where Coop was standing with Brendan.

Linda hurried over to join the other women with Andy and Robert following behind. "Where's my beautiful daughter-in-law?" she asked and Prue allowed her to hug her as well. "I always knew you'd be a part of my family, didn't I, Patty?" she prompted.

"You did… as soon as she was born, in fact," Patty agreed.

Phoebe slowly backed away from the growing group and caught Coop's eye. He walked toward her and the two silently left the room. She turned to face him once they were out of ear and eyeshot. "Thanks, Coop," she appreciated.

"Hey, that wedding saved my life, it was the least I could do," Coop assured her.

Phoebe glanced around so that she could see her family and Andy's gathered together. Everyone Prue would have ever wanted at her wedding… except maybe their dad. "No, really, it's perfect," Phoebe insisted.

Coop smiled softly. "Anytime… Pheebs," he answered. "But now I have to go," he pointed out.

"I know," Phoebe replied, returning his smile.

"I won't be far. Remember what you've learned and you'll find that too," Coop promised with nod in the direction of her family. He leaned forward and kissed Phoebe softly. He pulled away but hesitated leaving. "Tell Andy he can keep my ring." Coop took a step back. "As a reminder to him," he explained. Then in a flash of pink, he was gone.

Phoebe's hand flew to her lips which still tingled from the touch. She smiled a little before turning back toward the room.

"Since we missed it, you two have to reenact the kiss for us," Robert's voice drifted toward her followed by a lot of laughter.

Phoebe rolled her eyes good-naturedly at the comment and she eagerly rejoined her family, old and new, in time to see Andy pull Prue back toward him.

~PO4~

Outside the Movie Theatre

"You gotta remember though, the mission was successful. Bronson made it home," Dan pointed out as he walked next to Piper.

"Yeah, just to make a death wish," Glen returned in good-natured sarcasm.

Prue glanced over at Dan and Glen. "Oh no," she mumbled.

"Way to ruin the movie, guys," Paige complained, lightly shoving Glen's arm for his part in it.

Andy squeezed Prue's hand in assurance. "There are still a few twists. You three will like it," he promised.

Prue and Piper exchanged a thoughtful glance. "Okay, we can go see it next," Piper agreed, earning a one-armed hug from Dan.

Phoebe followed more slowly after her sisters, kicking her feet against the ground absently. She paused and looked behind her as she heard heavy footsteps behind her.

"Sorry, Phoebe. I almost forgot to get our parking validated," Kevin admitted sheepishly.

"No problem, Kevin," Phoebe laughed, intertwining her fingers with his.

Kevin smiled but pulled back a little so that they stopped. "Hey, I just wanted to say I'm really sorry I canceled on you the other day," he apologized.

"Love means never having to say you're sorry," Phoebe quoted.

Kevin looked confused by her answer. "What?" he questioned.

"It's nothing," Phoebe replied hurriedly. "We saw 'Love Story' here the other night and…" Phoebe started but trailed off with another look at Kevin. "… never mind," she finished.

"I love that movie," Kevin announced suddenly. They started walking again to catch up with their group.

"Really?" Phoebe asked in surprise.

Kevin nodded. "Yeah," he insisted.

"Me too," Phoebe admitted. "Now…" she whispered to herself just as she and Kevin rejoined her sisters and their guys.

"Hi!" Prue greeted cheerfully.

Phoebe smirked. "Hello," she returned in the same voice.

"Coffee again?" Glen suggested once they came up on the coffee shop they had been at before. "Unless you two have married couple things to be doing," he added with a teasing look at Andy and Prue.

Prue blushed a little at the not-so-subtle remark but otherwise rolled her eyes to brush the comment off. "I'll buy," Andy offered, ignoring the comment completely and pulling Prue inside the coffee shop. The other three couples eagerly followed with some scattered laughter at the elder two's expense.


End file.
